


Bonding

by hello33willoTheWisp845



Series: Friendship, Love and Life [3]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F, Fear, Friendship, Sex, Trouble, relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-06-30 06:47:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19847758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hello33willoTheWisp845/pseuds/hello33willoTheWisp845
Summary: This is the third part of my series "Friendship, Love and Life". Root and B'Elanna have returned to Voyager. Root repairs her spaceship and leaves Voyager.





	1. Chapter 1

Root and B'Elanna materialized in the transporter room on Voyager seconds later. In front of them at the console stood a ensign who had beamed the crew members of Antrie up.

"Lt.Torres, you are been the last two who were still on Antrie. The captain wants to see her immediately in her ready room." The ensign explained in B'Elanna's direction.

B'Elanna looked at Root, but Root just shrugged her shoulder and stepped off the transporter platform.

"Bye B'E. See you." She said coolly, took Seven backpack from B'Elanna's hand and rushed out of the transporter room.

B'Elanna watched her confusedly for a moment before hurrying after her. "Root wait." But Root went the Voyager corridor to the turbolift.

When B'Elanna caught up with her, she grabbed Root by the arm and turned her around. "Root, is everything okay between us?" B'Elanna asked uncertainly and Root looked at her silently for a moment. Then she smiled at B'Elanna.

"Yes, sure everything is okay between us. The captain wants to see you, you should not keep her waiting. I'll bring the backpack to Seven." With that, Root entered the turbolift, which had just opened for her. B'Elanna sighed heavily and nodded to Root. "Okay see you later. Yes?"

But Root shook her head silently and the doors of the turbolift hissed shut. B'Elanna saw Roots sad look and her heart was starting to throb, and in her head a voice screamed again and again "Shit, shit, shit."

*********************

While Root made his way to Seven, B'Elanna quickly went to her quarters to take her and Seven backpack there. Then she hurried to the standby dream of the captain.

After she had pressed the door buzzer, she was immediately called in by the captain. B'Elanna entered the ready room and immediately she felt the scent of Seven on her captain.

Kathryn got up from her desk and stood in front of it and looked at B'Elanna seriously. She was planning to tell B'Elanna about her new relationship with Seven right now and ask B'Elanna to release her. But before she could even begin the conversation, B'Elanna began to growl wildly and charge at Kathryn.

But Kathryn deftly defended B'Elanna with a self-defense handhold and threw her to the ground before B'Elanna could still put her hand on her. B'Elanna gasped loudly as her body hit the deck. Kathryn quickly climbed onto B'Elanna's torso and squeezed her down. Her face brought her very close to B'Elanna's face and looked at her as furiously as B'Elannas had previously looked at her. Then Kathryn growled loudly, "Seven is mine, release her!"

And B'Elanna's serious expression changed immediately and she grinned happily at her captain.

"Wow, I'm so glad you've finally got together." Then B'Elanna pushed herself up from the deck and took the captain in her arms and hugged her tightly.

For a long moment, the two women sat on the deck floor before B'Elanna gave Kathryn free again.

"I'm really happy for you. Are we in a polygamous relationship together or am I completely out of the relationship?" B'Elanna asked jokingly. She was aware that the captain would never enter into a polygamous relationship. She just was not the type for that. She was more of a guy who did not want to share his girlfriend or boyfriend with someone else.

"You're out of the relationship." Kathryn replied quickly, she definitely did not want B'Elanna to get a false hope. "But there is something else. Seven wants to keep our relationship secret. Therefore, I ask you to tell no one." Kathryn explained as she rose from B'Elanna and offered her a hand and helped her up.

"Okay, I will not tell anyone." B'Elanna promised.

"Thank you. And that we have fought remains with us. That's a private thing. Understood?" Kathryn asked in Captain mode.

B'Elanna neatly stroked her clothes and nodded her head. She was quite right that this was a private affair, because on the other hand she would have been court-martialed for the attack on her captain.

"Good B'Elanna, it's already late, we should both go to our respective quarters to get a hat sleep. I scheduled a meeting of senior officers in the Alpha Shift at 0900 tomorrow. I expect a detailed report by then, about the events that happened on Antrie. Dismiss." Kathryn said in captain's style, but much milder than usual. Then she smiled at B'Elanna mildly and B'Elanna nodded to her and left the ready room.

*********************

"Root." Seven took root in her arms when Root stepped into Kathryn's quarters. "I missed you. Are you all right?"

"Hello sweetie, me too. Yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired." Root said softly, squeezing tightly against Seven's body as she sighed in relief.

Seven perceived a distinct smell on Root. "You coped with B'Elanna?" She asked incredulously. "Are you together now?"

Root wriggled out of the embrace and shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, for copulation, which I would rather call wild unrestrained outdoor sex." Root winked at Seven cheekily. "No, to be together. We are far from it."

Root took off her jacket and sat down wearily on the couch and Seven sat down next to her.

"What are you doing here sweetie?" Asked Root and looked at Seven closely.

"Kathryn and I spent the last days, a lot of time together. We're together now." Seven said happily, but then her face became serious. "So Kathryn wanted to talk to B'Elanna as soon as she gets back to Voyager. I'm worried Kathryn said she has to fight for me after the Klingon rituals."

"Oh sweetie, that's wonderful that you and Kathryn are finally together." Root quickly grabbed Seven in her arms and hugged her. When she let Seven go, she added. "Do not worry, I do not think they will fight each other. B'Elanna knows that you love Kathryn and give her a much better loving couple. The two of them will definitely fix it in a star-fleet fashion."

"Hopefully" Seven sighed.

Root pulled the Ugly Doll stuffed animal out of Seven's backpack and showed it to Seven. "You're not going to need that anymore, are you?" She asked jokingly, and Seven gave a big grin.

"No, but it was nice of you to lend it to me."

"No problem, for this girlfriends are there." Root got up from the couch. "I'll go see my spaceship. Good night sweetie."

"Good Night Root" Seven took Root in her arms and both women pressed softly to farewell. Then Root left the quarters.

*********************

"Root!" Kathryn was just kicking out of the turbolift when Root approached.

"Hello Kathryn, nice to see you again. I have heard the good news and I am very happy for you and Seven." Then she pulled Kathryn into her arms and hugged her briefly. Kathryn, who had not expected this embrace, took a moment to return the hug.

"And I see you survived the meeting with B'Elanna. Seven was already worried." Explained Root after she broke away from Kathryn.

"Yes, B'Elanna was a bit annoyed for a moment, but then she agreed to give my request to Seven quite quickly. I'm still very surprised how they got together. Do you know something about it?" Kathryn asked and Root grinned sheepishly at her.

"It may be that I am to blame, the two are somehow on scents. Is a long story. I was just going to bed, if you like, I'll tell you each other." Root said tiredly and Kathryn looked at her sympathetically.

"Yes, that would be a good idea. Good night Root."

"Good night Kathryn"


	2. Chapter 2

Root exhausted , only with her boxer shorts, her wide hoodie and on her feet, her usual boots, clothed she went in the silent corridors of Voyager.

After trying to fall asleep for at least an hour, she had climbed out of bed annoyed, put on her hoodie and boots, and left her spaceship. She did not really have a goal. So she was just as surprised when she stopped in front of a quarter-door and pressed the door buzzer, like B'Elanna, who opened the quarters door for her.

Root looked at B'Elanna tiredly. "No word, do not break it, take me to your bed."

B'Elanna pulled Root into her arms and Root leaned her head on her shoulder and let her eyes close. B'Elanna picked up Root and Root wrapped her long bare legs around her as B'Elanna carried her to her bedroom and carefully put her to bed.

B'Elanna crawled to Root on the bed and covered them both with the blanket, as Root cuddled up to her and immediately fell asleep.

"Computer turn off the light."

B'Elanna sighed softly and relieved. She had not thought that she would see Root again today. In fact, she had even thought that she would never see Root again, after the conversation in the accommodation on antrie.

But right now lay the woman, whom she had known only for a short time, but who had known eternally by feeling and seemed to be a part of her that she had always missed in her life, in her arms, cuddling against her.

"I love you." B'Elanna whispered softly into the darkness. Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep shortly thereafter.

*****************************

On time at 6 o'clock in the morning B'Elanna was awakened by the wake-up call. Completely annoyed, B'Elanna sat up from the wake-up call and ruffled her hair in frustration, moaning loudly. She was not a morning person, but unfortunately her vacation was over.

Vacation? She laughed sarcastically. This was not a holiday, it was an adventure, from which she actually needed vacation. Sighing, she got up and went to her bathroom and set the sound shower. While the sound waves cleaned her body and she still leaned against the bathroom wall with her eyes closed, her root fell in again.

Quickly she turned off the sound shower and ran back into the bedroom naked. But her bed, from which she had just got up, was empty. And, if she thought about it, her bed had been empty by the time she woke up.

Had she just imagined that Root was standing in front of her quarter-door last night, tired of her, asking to be taken to her bed?  
No, this could not be. B'Elanna picked up her sleepshirt and smelt it. Relieved, she sighed. It smelled like root, so Root was here. But where was she?

"Computer where is Root?" She asked the computer.

"In Lt. Torres Quartier." Communicated the computer voice emotionless.

B'Elanna quickly put on her dressing gown and hurried to her living area, looking around for Root. But the living area was just as empty as the bedroom.

Frustrated, B'Elanna growled as she found Roots communicator on her dining table.

B'Elanna took the communicator in her hand and threw it angrily against the wall. The communicator fell on the deck without much noise. Communicators were made that way, and they did not break that fast.

Sighing, B'Elanna picked up the stupid communicator and put it back on her dining table. Then she went to her bedroom and dressed for the Alpha shift. After all, she had yet to produce a report for the captain before the meeting of the senior officers started.

"Great morning." She mumbled to herself as she left her quarters after breakfast, heading to her engine room.

There she was immediately taken by Lt.Carey up to date before retiring to her office and writing the report for the Captain.

*****************************

After rooting from one of her usual nightmares, Root quietly left B'Elanna's quarters and returned to her spaceship. There she had unpacked her backpack and, to her surprise, found the container with Breenara's ashes.

She'd forgotten about the container. In the meantime, a lot had happened.

Therefore, Root put her alarm clock on a comfortable time before she crawled under her warm blanket and continued to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lanna" Tom called as he caught up with B'Elanna at the conference room door. B'Elanna turned to Tom and gave him a friendly look.

"Hiya Tom, how are you?" She asked politely.

"All right and you?" He asked sheepishly, scratching his head awkwardly.

"Indeed. Was a stressful time on Antrie. And you?"

"We were in the base camp on the east coast. It was okay there." Tom answered and looked intently at B'Elanna.

"Have you thought about us in the last few days?" He asked hesitantly.

B'Elanna sighed heavily before answering.

"I'm sorry, we had a lot of shit on Antrie, so there was not much time to think. But as far as I can see, we both have no future together. I fell in love." B'Elanna retorted, hoping that Tom would lose any hope of a resurgence in her relationship.

Tom looked at B'Elanna speechless. Only after a moment had he recovered enough to answer. "Ah understand. May I ask who it is? "

"Well no, you may not. But since Voyager is a small ship and you'd probably find out soon enough, I'll tell you. It's Root."

"Root?" Tom asked irritated.

"Yes, Root." With that B'Elanna went into the conference room.

"B'Elanna." Seven beamed when she saw B'Elanna and B'Elanna hurried toward her and pulled the young exborg into her arms.

"Hey honey, I missed you. Are you alright?" B'Elanna asked as she released Seven.

All present leadership officers looked at the two women, who were always in dispute, surprised. B'Elanna noticed that immediately.

"What? Seven and I are friends now, so do not look so surprised."

Before anyone could say anything, Kathryn entered the conference room and greeted her senior officers.

"It's great that we're complete again. B'Elanna I have read your report and it all sounds very adventurous. The Antrie government has asked us to leave their orbit immediately. They do not want such an incident to happen again. So we will leave orbit in an hour and continue our journey. Since many could not start their shore leave, we will go to another planet and make up for the failed shore leave. Seven, please look for a suitable planet. Tom set a new course for the Alpha Quadrant. Chakotay ..."

Before Kathryn could continue talking to her senior officers, B'Elanna fell off her chair and cramped to the floor in pain. Everyone quickly hurried to her and Kathryn hurriedly typed her communicator.

"Doctor, we have an emergency here, I ask for a 'place-to-place' transport."

Kathryn and B'Elanna were then beamed to the infirmary, and the doctor immediately placed B'Elanna on the biobed and began to examine her.

"Root?" B'Elanna gasped between cramps "Where ..."

Kathryn looked worriedly at B'Elanna. "Shht, the doctor will heal you right now." Kathryn tried to calm her as the doctor ran his tricorder over her body.

"Root ... needs ..." B'Elanna cramped in pain "me" jolted her out with teeth clenched. B'Elanna clung to the uniform of Kathryn. "Please ..." she pleaded as another wave of pain rolled through her body.

"Computer where is Root?" Kathryn asked quickly.

"Unknown" the computer voice answered monotonously.

Kathryn desperately ran her hand through her hair, thinking quickly. Then she tapped her communicator, while B'Elanna continued to lay tense and painfully on the biobed and the doctor was preparing a hypospray.

"Here's the captain, Root please call the infirmary." in which she passes this announcement on the whole ship.

After a moment, Kathryn's communicator hummed and she tapped it again.

"Captain, I just beamed Root to the planet just a few minutes ago. She said that she would have to do something else." Explains the Ensign, who was currently serving in the transport room.

"Beam her up to the infirmary right away." Kathryn instructed hurriedly.

Moments later, Roots cramping pain-curled body materialized in the infirmary. As this happened, B'Elanna's cramps subsided immediately.

The doctor immediately hurried to Root and picked her up on the biobed and examined her quickly. Her cramps also died down immediately, but she fainted.

Kathryn looked confusedly between B'Elanna and Root.

"Doctor, report?" She demanded immediately.

"I do not understand why B'Elanna just went bad and I do not know this woman. Who is that?" The doctor asked curiously.

B'Elanna, feeling better, pushed away from the biobed and shuffled to the biobed, where Root was still unconscious.

"Root?" B'Elanna asked worriedly and put her hand on Roots pale cheek and stroked gently over it.

"Doctor, what do you mean you not knowing Root?" Kathryn asked the doctor instead.

"I mean it the way I say it. I do not know this woman and I do not know what happened to B'Elanna and her. My tricorder can not detect any disease with them. Except that this woman has heart failure here, which should be promptly operated on." The doctor replied worriedly.

Kathryn looked at the doctor in shock, but before she could say anything, B'Elanna spoke up again.

"No, Root does not want to be operated on heart. Forget it. Why the hell do not you know her? You have already treated her."

Roots eyes fluttered after a moment and she looked around disoriented in the round.

"No, stay lying." Ordered B'Elanna when Root wanted to sit up.

"What happened?" She asked in a hoarse voice and put her hand to her head, which was buzzing quite a bit.

"B'Elanna has suddenly collapsed at the leadership officers' meeting. She had cramping pain. She wanted us to look for you and the ensign from the transporter room beamed you back. What did you lose on the planet?" Kathryn asked sternly.

Meanwhile, Seven came to the infirmary and purposefully went to Root's biobed and looked back and forth between B'Elanna and Root.

Root looked at everyone with a blown face. "I wanted to scatter the ashes of Breenara in the sea. I had forgotten it and while we were still here, I wanted to do this thing." She admitted softly.

"You wanted what?" Kathryn asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Why did not you tell anyone that you wanted to return to the planet? The Antrie government wants us to leave orbit as soon as possible. We could have been away in the meantime." Kathryn admitted.

"I just wanted to quickly scatter the ashes and then come back. That would have been a matter of five minutes and the ensign knew. I told him to give it a couple of minutes before he beamed me back." Root answered quietly, but annoyed, and rolled her eyes. She was not used to accounting for someone, what she was doing, when she was doing something or how she was doing something.

"I'll scatter the ashes." B'Elanna immediately joined.

"No, that's out of question. You have just broken down together in the conference room and we still do not know why. You will not beam down." Kathryn said in captain mode.

"Then I'll do it." Seven said, reaping a withering look from Kathryn.

"No, none of you will do that. Both of you." Kathryn pointed to B'Elanna and Root "you will stay here in the infirmary and have yourself extensively examined by the doctor. Seven, you come with me to the bridge. We'll fly right now." Kathryn said in a starfleet command tone.

Seven looked at Kathryn from the side without emotion. Inside, she was very angry at her captain for not taking on this task. However, she was smart enough not to demand an explanation from her captain now. So she put on her borg mask and arrogantly looked around with her chin stretched out.

"We can not go, I promised Breenara. He died for me, I can not keep my promise." Root replied desperately, trying to get up from Biobett. However, she was held by B'Elanna and Kathryn looked at her in horror and reconsidered the situation.

"Okay, I'll send a security team down, they'll do the job. Where's the ashes?" Kathryn asked with a sigh.

"I probably lost her on the beach after being materialized on the planet." Root replied in frustration.

"Okay." Kathryn tapped her communicator and told Tuvok to put together an outside team to take over.

B'Elanna was relieved that neither Root nor herself had to complete this task, and Root sank down on the biobed. She had made the promise and therefore she had to fulfill it. But as it looked, no one here would let her go. Frustrated, she closed her eyes, thus excluding everyone from view.


	4. Chapter 4

"B'Elanna, look at the doctor's matrix as soon you feel well. I want to know why he no longer recognizes Root." said Kathryn before leaving the infirmary with Seven.

B'Elanna nodded to her and then went to the doctor, who was still analyzing his data, searching for the cause B'Elanna and Root to have cramping pains.

"Doctor, I need to disable you to better analyze your matrix and find and fix the error."

The doctor looked at B'Elanna indignantly, but then nodded his head resignedly. B'Elanna deactivated him. Once the doctor was off, Root slid off her biobed and walked over to B'Elanna's work console.

"B'E, you do not have to look for the mistakes, if you promise me no one to say anything, I'll tell you what's wrong with the doctor." Root said mysteriously.

"Root, you know as well as I do that the captain wants a report. So I can not promise you nothing to say." B'Elanna replied a little annoyed.

"Why did you go during the night?" B'Elanna asked curiously and Root looked away from her embarrassed and took a medical device into her hand, looked at it with interest and fiddled with it.

"Root? Why did you not stay?" B'Elanna asked again.

"I thought you wanted to fix the doctor. Should I tell you what's wrong with him?"

"Yes, but first I would like to know why you left."

Root sighed deeply, set the medical device aside and looked sheepishly at B'Elanna.

"B'E, I ..., I ..., it was wrong to show up at your place last night and stay with you. Having breakfast together would have steered the overall picture in a direction that would have given you a wrong picture of the overall situation." Declared Root and smiled sadly at B'Elanna.

B'Elanna squinted at Root, then sighed heavily.

"Oh, that's it. Understand." B'Elanna said coolly and turned back to the work console.

Root walked over and put her hand on B'Elanna's arm, B'Elanna looked at her again.

"B'E, I do not want to hurt you, but once my spaceship is repaired, I'll leave the Voyager. I'm only here for a few more days. And…"

"And what? You still have this stupid plan to fly so alone through the Delta Quadrant? Why can not you just stay here with me? I thought we had something there, after all we loved us and connected yesterday. Does not that count anything?" Asked B'Elanna angrily.

Root pushed B'Elanna from the work console aside and quickly entered some codes. When she finished after a few seconds, she looked at B'Elanna sadly.

"The doctor is the same again, as before. And no, what we did yesterday was just sex for me. There's nothing between us that could make me stay here on Voyager. I am sorry."

Then Root turned and hurried out of the infirmary.

B'Elanna watched her stunned. Then, frustrated and furious, she hit a biobed and desperately dropped to the floor. "Shit, shit, shit" she cursed loudly and began to cry out her pain.

Root, on the other hand, walked quickly down the hall to the turbolift, wiping the tears that ran down her cheek with her hand. It hurt so much that she had to hurt B'Elanna so much. But it was necessary. She could not keep belying on B'Elanna for something that would never happen.

***********************

After B'Elanna calmed down, she got up and went to the adjacent bathroom to wash her tear-stained face. Afterwards she entered the infirmary again and activated the doctor.

"Doctor, remember Root again?" She asked curiously, and the doctor went through his memory and then smiled happily at B'Elanna. 

"Yes, everything back. Thanks for your help." He said friendly.

"Do you have any idea how your memories have disappeared?"

The doctor thought for a moment. "Hm ... earlier, I asked Root to come over to examine her heart. I told her once again that one surgery would be the best and when she refused again, I told her that she had to come by every day from now on, so that I could better watch her heart, because she unfortunately has the heart monitor do not want to wear regularly. And then all I remember was that I was activated when you were transported to the infirmary." The doctor provided information.

B'Elanna dropped the penny and she nodded to the doctor. "I understand, thank you for explaining everything to me. I think I know now what happened. I'll give the captain a detailed report." With that B'Elanna said goodbye and went back into her engine room.

***********************

After the security team scattered the ash from Breenara by the sea off Antrie's east coast, the Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant.  
B'Elanna spent the day distracting herself with a lot of work so as not to have to think about Root.

After work, B'Elanna decided to go to the holodeck, where the program "Sandrine" was running, instead of returning to her empty quarters. Upon entering, she already noticed that the program was well attended today. Instead of settling for Tom, Harry and the usual suspects, she chose a seat at the bar this time and ordered something alcoholic. The drink was then drank with a sip and immediately ordered a second drink.

"Hey Lanna, how are you?" Asked Tom, who had come to her at the bar.

"Good" B'Elanna said curtly, draining her second drink as quickly as her first. The bartender put her a third drink and Tom looked anxiously at B'Elanna.

"For me it looks different. What's going on?" He asked gently and worriedly.

"Nothing." B'Elanna growled, glaring at Tom. He raised his hands defensively and shook his head resignedly.

"Okay, okay. I'll leave you in peace. Let me know if you need someone to take you to your quarters because you can not find it yourself." He said and turned around and disappeared back to the table where Harry and the others sat.

B'Elanna took her glass and finished her third drink with a sip. When she wanted to put her fourth drink, which the bartender had already put her, on her lips, the glass was torn from her.

Surprised and annoyed, she turned to the person who had stolen her drink and growled angrily. But as soon as she saw who stole the drink, she stared open-mouthed at the person and blinked her eyes.

"Hey, that was mine." She said lame out.

"Order yourself a new one." Root said, giving her a cheeky wink before she downed the drink. After that, she grimaced "Uhh, that's really hard stuff, what you drink there."

B'Elanna then grunted her order to the bartender, but before she could take her drink, Root took it off the bartender and finished it on Ex. "Thank you sweetie, nice of you." She said to the bartender and winked at him seductively.

"Root, what's that? Do you want me anger to punch you in anger?" B'Elanna asked angrily.

"Can you do that?" Root asked without concern and B'Elanna blushed. No, of course she could not, after all she was in love with Root.

"You see." Root said only and accepted the new drink from the bartender and tipped it right behind. Then she set the glass noisily on the counter and looked at B'Elanna seriously.

"Sorry B'E, I did not mean to annoy you. I just needed something powerful before I tell you Goodbye." Root said wistfully.

B'Elanna looked at her with open mouth. Only when she had decrypted the message in her head, she asked in surprise. "What? What do you mean?"

"I completed the repairs on my spaceship today. It only requires a few hours of concentrated work. I've already asked the bridge, if I have anything to remember when leaving, the Voyager or log me off. But it has enough to say *Goodbye*. Once I'm ready to go, I just have to request an authorized start. Not more. And that brings me to you now." Declared Root and took another glass to her lips and drank it out on Ex.

"I want you to take care of our sunshine. Please promise to take care of her and teach her how to have fun. I mean, Kathryn will teach her a lot, but I do not think she thinks of those funny things that are really fun. Please be a good friend for her, yes?" Root asked seriously.

B'Elanna ran tears down her cheek and Root gently and gently stroked them away with her hand.

"Please, promise me." asked Root again.

B'Elanna nodded her head and looked at Root with moist, dark eyes.

"Thanks, B'E." Root said with relief, pulling B'Elanna into her arms and hugging her tightly.

B'Elanna locked Roots thin body tight in her arms and hugged her for a long time.

When Root broke away from her, she breathed a gentle kiss on B'Elanna's cheeks. Then she hastily left the holodeck and B'Elanna watched her with tear-stained eyes. Then within a few milliseconds her decision was made and she quickly left the holodeck as well.


	5. Chapter 5

"Voyager, do I have permission to start?" Asked Root, after she had sat down in her spaceship at her control console and fully activated her spaceship. Everywhere on the little bridge now small lights lit up brightly.

"Permission granted. Have a good trip." Explained Lt. Kommander Tuvok, who had taken over the bridge this evening.

"Thanks, I wish Voyager and her crew a safe journey home, too." Root said goodbye and then started her spaceship. Gently, the "Sameen Shaw" slid out of Hangar Deck 1 into space.

When their spaceship to Voyager had reached a reasonable distance, Root activated the stealth shield and the Blink Drive drive heading her kurs.

With a pop, the "Sameen Shaw" vanished from the Voyager sensors. All the crewmembers on the bridge looked at the sensor data in surprise.

******************************

Kathryn, who was also standing at her window just then, stared open-mouthed at Root's spaceship. First, how it turned from a spaceship to an astroid and then vanished from one second to the next second.

Quickly she tapped her communicator and excitedly asked Tuvok to report on what had just happened.

"Take up pursuit from the spaceship. I'm on my way to the bridge." Kathryn hastily ordered.

"Captain?" Tuvok asked, not realizing why they should take up the chase.

"Seven is on this damn spaceship, we need to go after." Kathryn responded irritably as she made her way to the bridge.

"Captain, that's impossible. There are no traces of warp that we can follow. We do not know in which direction Root flew with her spaceship." Tuvok logically tried to explain the problem they had now.

"Tuvok, check everything again, we need to follow Root." Kathryn said steadfastly as she arrived on the bridge and stood in front of Tuvok.

"Aye Captain." Tuvok said and went to his console and began his search while Kathryn sat down on her captain's chair and also analyzed the data provided by the sensors on her work console.

******************************

B'Elanna scrambled to her feet again. When she had just been beamed into Roots spaceship, she was torn from her feet by a violent jolt. Quickly she looked around, but since only the emergency lights lit the storage room, she had to grope her way through the half-dark room.

On the walk toward the bridge, she collided with someone in the half-dark.

"Damn." She cursed loudly.

"B'Elanna, what happened?" Seven asked worriedly.

"Honey, what are you doing here?" B'Elanna asked at the same time and both women looked at each other worriedly.

"I wanted to sleep in my bedroom and was just torn out of bed trying to fall asleep." Seven replied conscientiously.

"Ahhhhhhh ..." B'Elanna suddenly screamed with pain and Seven put her arm protectively around B'Elanna and looked at her worriedly.

"What do you have?"

"Pain, please help me to come to Root." asked B'Elanna with clenched teeth her young girlfriend.

Seven supported B'Elanna as they headed forward to the spaceship's bridge. As soon as they were there, Seven helped B'Elanna into a chair. Then she quickly hurried to Root.

"Her pulse is very weak, her heart seems to be about to stop. She had several internal injuries." Seven, who had picked up a tricorder, shouted despairingly at B'Elanna, who in the meantime was writhing in agony.

"Please ... help ... her ..." B'Elanna asked, stuttering in pain.

Seven nodded to her. She raised her Borghand and B'Elanna, looked at her with wide eyes. "No ..." she yelled at Seven, but from Seven's Borghand already her two Assimilationsröhrchen snaked and approached Roots lifeless body.

"I will not assimilate her, I only send her 30,000 nanoprobes to heal her from the inside." Seven replied in a shaky voice. That was her plan anyway, but if it worked, she was not sure herself.

After the nano-probes got into Roots bloodstream and began to repair internal injuries, as well as to reanimate her heart, B'Elanna suddenly got better again.

"Sorry Honey, I did not mean to yell at you, I was just scared that you would assimilate Root." B'Elanna quickly apologized to Seven.

"Are you feeling better?" Seven asked in confusion.

"Yes, since your nanoprobes have been in Roots body and healing them, strangely enough, I feel better again. The pain disappeared suddenly. We should get Roots to bed." B'Elanna and Seven agreed.

Gently, she unbuckled Root from her chair and slid her hands under Roots body and lifted her up. Seven let her slowly slide into bed in Roots bedroom. B'Elanna who had followed her curiously looked around Roots room, since she had never been here before.

"Wow, the ride has messed things up in the room." She murmured, impressed by the chaos in Roots room, to herself.

Seven raised an eyebrow before answering. "Roots room looked like this before. She's pretty messy." she explained, analyzing vital signs with the Tricorder Roots.

"The nanoprobes work efficiently, their hearts ..." Seven paused and looked at B'Elanna in shock.

"What?" B'Elanna asked worriedly.

"... is stable. The nanoprobes cured it. She not only reanimated it, but completely healed it." Seven said and looked at B'Elanna in horror.

"But that's good. Is not it?" Asked B'Elanna, who did not quite understand Seven's reaction.

"It's good for the heart and for Root, but Root never wanted her heart to be healed or operated on." Seven said quietly and sat down on the bed in despair.

"Hey Honey, you saved Root's life, if she minds, then she should take it with me. I'll kick her in the bony ass and wash her pretty, crazy head. OK? You also have a special bonus with her. She loves You. Do you know what was most important to her when she said goodbye to me?" 

Seven shook her head.

"She asked me to take care of you and show you how to have fun." B'Elanna replied, taking her into her arms comfortingly and protectively.

Both women held on for a moment and both were relieved that Seven had managed to keep Root alive.

"I'll take a look at the bridge and the engine room. I would like to know why only the emergency lights are on and why all systems are dead. Please stay with Root. I'll be right back." Explained B'Elanna and Seven nodded her head. "Acceptable." She sighed softly.

******************************

When B'Elanna came back about an hour later, Seven had taken off her sleepshirt and put on something warmer. She sat in bed next to Root and looked curiously at B'Elanna as she returned to the bedroom.

"I have no idea why the spaceship only has emergency lighting, but otherwise it seems to be dead. We have to wait until Root wakes up. How is she?" B'Elanna asked.

"The nanoprobes have completed the healing, if they were a Borg, I would send them to regeneration in an alcove for a few hours. Since she is not a Borg, we should let her sleep until she wakes up." Seven pointed out.

"OK. Since we can not do anything anyway and we also do not know where we are, since every window outside seems to be shut off, maybe we should just lie down and sleep a bit."

Seven crawled out of bed, but before she could leave Root's bedchamber, B'Elanna held her arm. "Where do you want to go?" She asked and looked at Seven in amazement.

"In my bedroom. I thought you both wanted to be alone." Seven said quietly and B'Elanna grinned at her broadly.

"Do not be nonsense, stay here. How am I supposed to take care of you when you are in the other bedroom? The bed is big enough for the three of us. Come on." B'Elanna said and pushed Seven back to the bed.

"Besides, I'm not even sure I should stay here at all." B'Elanna mumbled under her breath.

"Why are you unsure about that?" Seven asked curiously, as she slipped under the covers and cuddled them to Roots body.

"Because Root does not want a relationship with me. What do you think she thinks if she wakes up next to me?" B'Elanna asked Seven.

"I do not know that. But I'm more worried about what she thinks about my nanoprobes healing her heart. Maybe we should both sleep in my bedroom?" Seven asked instead.

"But one of us has to stay here with Root to check on her. So since I have to take care of you and we have to go to Root, we both stay here ...."

"B'E is right, you both should stay here and finally stop talking about how I'll find something." Root said in a raspy voice as she slowly straightened up in bed.

"Root?" B'Elanna and Seven asked at the same time and looked at her.

"Yeah, I'm here. What are you doing here and what happened? And why am I lying in bed?" Root asked confused, alternating between the two women. Once to Seven, who was lying next to her in bed and once to B'Elanna who was just about to undress and get ready for bed.

"When you told me earlier in the holodeck *goodbye*, I let myself be beamed into your spaceship from there. I did not want to let you fly away like that. And Seven had decided tonight to stay here in her bedroom. And you're lying in bed because of your internal injuries caused by the rough stop of your spaceship." B'Elanna explained curtly and took off her uniform jacket.

"I had to inject you nano-probes to heal your internal injuries, which they did." Seven quietly and Root looked at them wide-eyed.

"Okay, and why do I feel that's not all?" Root asked curiously, watching B'Elanna undress her pants.

"Not only did my nanoprobes heal your injuries, they have completely healed your sick heart, too." Seven replied, looking anxiously at Root. But Root just blinked her eyes and was very quiet.

"Damn Root, where are we and what's going on with your spaceship?" B'Elanna asked, standing in the bedchamber now in her Starfleet underwear, not knowing if she could crawl into Root and Seven's bed.

Root was still speechless and looked from Seven to B'Elanna back and forth. Then she swallowed, twice and answered in a hoarse voice.

"Why did you want to sleep here in your bedroom tonight?" Root asked instead instead of having to answer B'Elanna's question.

"Kathryn and I had a fight and I thought it was better not to spend the night with her." Seven replied sheepishly.

"You had a fight? What was it about?" Root asked.

"That's why I should not return to the planet to scatter the ashes from the Antran. Kathryn did not want to explain to me why she did not allow it and that made me angry. That's why I preferred to leave." Seven replied softly, arrogantly raising her chin.

"Why did you fly off with your spaceship without saying goodbye to me? I thought we are friends and girlfriends say goodbye to each other. Or?" Seven asked in amazement.

"Oh sweetie, I could not tell you bye. If I had come to you to say goodbye, then maybe I could not have left because I could not have left you. But that's how I knew you were fine with Kathryn and B'E would take care of you and that maybe you would not be too angry with me. Why did you inject me with your nano probes?"

"B'Elanna asked me to help you, your heart was about to fail and I just could not let you die. The prospect of losing you as a friend was too painful for me. And the best option to save your life was my nanoprobes." Seven explained with wet eyes.

Root pulled her into her arms and held on to Seven for a long moment. "Thanks sweetie." Then she kissed her on the cheek and broke away from Seven.

"Okay, now that all the questions are answered, how about answering my question? Where are we and what's going on with your spaceship?" B'Elanna asked impatiently once more.

"Well, if everything went as planned, then we are now where I wanted to be. As for my spaceship, the camouflage mode seems to have disturbed my drive, causing the entire spacecraft to shut down for safety. That explains the rough stop." Declared Root and crawled out of bed and got up quickly.

"Where do you want to go?" B'Elanna asked worriedly.

"I want to see where we are exactly and start an analysis, which is broken on my spaceship." Root explained patiently.

"You should, but rest and get back to bed." B'Elanna replied, glaring at Root challengingly.

"Sweet as you worry about me, but I feel great. I have not felt this good for a long time. The nanoprobes are really little miracles." Root said, winking seductively at B'Elanna and then leaving her bedroom.

B'Elanna looked after her and twisted her eyes annoyed, but quickly pulled on her pants and stumbled after Root. Seven did the same. Both women followed Root to their bridge.


	6. Chapter 6

Root just tapped a button when B'Elanna and Seven arrived on the bridge. Both of them held their breath in shock as they saw from the window, which Root had just opened, where they had landed.

Roots eyes began to shine and she looked at the scenery in amazement with her mouth open.

"Shit, damn it. Is that your serious, Root?" B'Elanna cursed after finding her voice again.

"Root?" B'Elanna grabbed Root by the shoulders and gave her a piercing look. "What are we doing here in the heart of the Borg Territory?" She asked angrily, but Root still looked mesmerized through the window.

Seven started to shake terribly. Not because she was cold, but because she was suddenly scared. Just a few months ago, the Borgqueen had captured her here and Kathryn came and rescued her. And now she was here again. Only this time Kathryn would not come and save her.

"Damn Root, why did you fly your spaceship here?" B'Elanna shouted at her. Only then did Root blink with her eyes, tearing her gaze away from the window.

"Nice not?" She asked dreamily and admiringly.

"No, that's terrible. What the hell did you think you were coming to? They will assimilate us and we will be fucking Borg drones. That's not nice, that's far from nice. This is very bad." B'Elanna cried desperately and furiously as she shook Root to pull her out of this state of fascination.

"Look at Seven, she's shaking with fear." B'Elanna screamed again to cover her frustration and her own fear.

Only then Roots view was a bit clearer and she looked over to Seven. It was true Seven was very pale with fear and she was shaking all over.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. I did not know that you were here. I would never deliberately expose you to such dangers." Root said apologetically in Seven's direction.

Her eyes darkened and her body collapsed in despair. B'Elanna, still clinging to her shoulders, quickly picked her up and carefully placed her in the pilot's chair.  
Root pulled her knees close, holding her in her arms and resting her head on it as she considered the whole situation.

B'Elanna sighed deeply and sat down on the chair next to Root.

"We have to get out of here before the Borg notice us." B'Elanna muttered.

"I have the protection mode. The Borg will not notice us. For them, the spaceship looks like a small asteroid pulling its way through its territory. Not dangerous and not very interesting. They will ignore us until we do anything that seems interesting enough to them. Only then are we in danger." Root answered softly.

"How did we get here so fast?" B'Elanna asked.

"Blink Drive." Root just answered, looking at the viewing window and gazing in wonder at the Borg activities that were happening a few thousand miles from their spaceship.

Borgcubes docked or broke away from the complex and disappeared. Borg spheres crossed back and forth. It all looked very futuristic in Root's eyes and yet she was here. Here, where she had wanted to be for so long. In fact, since she had heard of the Borg. That was about two years ago.

"What?" Asked B'Elanna and Seven, who had regained their composure, simultaneously.

Root lifted her eyes from the viewing window and looked at B'Elanna and Seven. "The Blink Drive is a new drive. With it you can jump from one point of the galaxy to another point of the galaxy within a few seconds. It does not matter how far away this point is." Explained Root. "Well, well it's still pretty experimental and there are often incidents. The first time I did not calibrate the drive correctly and landed with you instead of here." Root sighed heavily and looked wistfully out the window. If she had done everything right the first time, she would not be in this mess right now.

"So from the beginning you wanted to go to the Borg, why?" B'Elanna asked stunned.

"I had problems in the Alpha Quadrant, I lost everything that was ever important to me, and my heart was about to fail. So I had the opportunity to die or to travel to the Borg and say hello." Root answered with a chuckle. But neither B'Elanna nor Seven thought it was funny.

"This is crazy. You're crazy!" Shouted B'Elanna angrily.

"Yes, it can be, but it's the way it is." Root answered quietly before she stood up and entered several codes on her work console, bringing her spaceship to life.

B'Elanna and Seven watched in fascination at the flashing lights and indicators.

"What are you doing?" Seven asked nervously.

"I will fix my spaceship and bring you back to Voyager." Explained Root. "First, I'll start an analysis and see what's broken and fix it."

"Okay, how can we help you?" B'Elanna asked busily.

"Well, you could help me by withdrawing and letting me do it. The Blink Drive is subject to a high secret level and you should know really nothing about it."

"Seriously? I'm a chief engineer and Seven also has a lot of knowledge about drive drives, we could really help you." B'Elanna replied impatiently.

"Thank you, it's very nice of you to help me, but that's really not possible. I have to handle this alone. Just lie down and rest for a while. I'm fine." said Root.

"No chance, I will not leave you here alone. Who knows what you can think of when you're alone?" B'Elanna stubbornly explained and crossed her arms.

"I'll leave you alone and sleep a little." Seven said quietly and both women looked at her in surprise.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Root asked worriedly.

"Yes, I work in acceptable parameters." Explained Seven in Borgmanier. B'Elanna raised an eyebrow and looked anxiously at Seven.

"I'll put you to bed Honey." She said, addressing Root. "I'll be right back, so do not nonsense." She said as threateningly as she could. But Root just smiled at her.

"Good night sweetie." She called after Seven as they and B'Elanna left the bridge.


	7. Chapter 7

"While we're here, what if we tell the Borgqueen * hello * and ask her if she's giving us some of her awesome transwarp coils so we can get the Voyager back into the Alpha Quadrant faster?" Asked Root, when B'Elanna had returned.

For a while, while waiting for the results of the analysis, Root had watched the Borg from the window. She hated being so far from them. She wanted to see her from near and get to know her. No matter what that would cost.

"What?" Asked B'Elanna "Are you crazy?"

Root turned to her and smiled gently at her. "No, I'm just fascinated by the possibilities that are so beautiful in front of us. I hate ways to pass me by. B'E, you've already tried to get transwarp coils yourself. You know how tempting this possibility is. Why do you find my idea just so bad?" Asked Root and pulled a pout.

"Because I know that will only end in assimilation. The last time we were just lucky that we got out of there safely. We will hardly have that much luck again. And how do you actually know about the mission with the transwarp coils?" B'Elanna asked in surprise.

Root looked embarrassed out of the window and played with the Curls she had wrapped around her fingers.

"I've been reading a little in your database." she said softly.

"You have what?" B'Elanna asked stunned.

"I'm always interested in what people I'm dealing with. I was curious and rummaged a bit. That's all." Root replied and shrugged innocently.

Then Root got up from her chair and went to B'Elanna and sat on her lap. She tilted her head to B'Elanna's head and laid her lips gently on B'Elannas and breathed a kiss on it.

B'Elanna pulled Root into her arms and the kiss became more passionate. Both lost themselves in this kiss for a few minutes. B'Elanna's hands moved over Roots's back and gently stroked him as Root's hands clung to B'Elanna's waist.

After they both gasped for air, Root parted slightly from B'Elanna's embrace and looked at her gently.

"B'E look, I know you think that's a pretty bad idea to go to the Borg and ask them about transwarp coils for Voyager. Even I think the idea is very lousy. But the idea to get the transwarp coils is great. With my holoprojectors, I could make ourselves virtually invisible to the Borg. We would unseen steal the transwarp coils, return to Voyager, and bring them back to the Alpha Quadrant with the transwarp coils."

B'Elanna looked at Root for a long moment, wondering if Root was about to wrap her around her finger, or if they really had the opportunity to steal the Borg transware coils.

"Ok, suppose I agree with your erroneous plan, explain how you want to make us invisible and how we can get the transport coils without being assimilated." asked B'Elanna.

Root grinned at B'Elanna. "I'll explain it later, first I want you to kiss me." asked Root gentle and seductive. B'Elanna grinned at Root and did not ask twice, but pulled Root close to her body again and put her mouth on Roots and explored him with her tongue stormy.

A wave of pleasure shot through B'Elanna's body and she began to growl, biting Roots lower lip with desire. Root moaned loudly and pressed her body even closer to B'Elanna.

"This is not a trick to convince me of your crazy plan. Is not it? Right?" B'Elanna gasped as she pulled away from Roots lips.

Roots eyes were dark and blown away in utter lust. "No, please do not stop. I need you right now. Take me and I promise you it's not a trick." Root answered gasping for breath.

B'Elanna's blood began to boil, and a mixture of intense yearning, necessity, and worship aroused the half-klingon how like fire, firing in a dry forest. She quickly claimed Roots lips again and kissed her wildly and passionately.

Both women kissed long and hard as they ripped their clothes off their bodies and pressed their naked bodies against each other.

B'Elanna's clitoris penis had swollen to a considerable size and was twitching. Gently, B'Elanna introduced him to Root's pussy, and both swayed, panting and moaning, into a wild rhythm as they kissed, exploring the other's body with their hands, biting, tasting and tease.

Everywhere they caressed and explored there were loud wistful noises, groans and ecstatic sighs. Both women were so busy and confused that they did not realize how Seven was standing in the doorway, watching them eagerly and storing everything in their cortical knot to analyze it later.

In her distress she shoved her hand into her pants and touched herself right where she wished that Kathryn had touched her last night if she had not been disturbed.

As Root and B'Elanna climaxed and spiraled higher and higher, Seven lost herself in the intense emotions her own hand brought her. But before she lost herself completely, she stopped and quickly went back to her bedroom to continue her undisturbed touch into her bed.

Her fingers slid through her wet lips and rubbed longingly and desperately on her clitoris, while her Assimilation tubes unfolded and penetrated her pussy and stimulated her vibrating. When she heard the loud moans and growls of B'Elanna and Root's low, hoarse scream as both women came in at the same time, Seven was also flooded with a hot wave that exploded inside her. In that moment she was the first time she could think, unable to think. A deep groan came out of her and her body trembled uncontrollably as she slowly recovered from her orgasm.

After Seven recovered, she felt a pleasant sense of happiness. She had finally discovered what the true beauty and perfection of life was. Tears of joy ran down her cheek, which she wiped away with her hand. She imagined how much nicer it would have been if Kathryn had touched her as well, and a renewed lust came over her, which she indulged in and reveled in.

!**************************

After Root and B'Elanna arrived at the same time, Root had collapsed unconscious. B'Elanna picked her up carefully and took her to the bedroom. There, B'Elanna lay down on the bed with Root in her arms and looked at her admiringly.

Root blinked her eyes openly after a moment, beaming in love at B'Elanna.

"Hello you." She said softly and her eyes still sparkled with pleasure. "Ready for Round 2?" She asked cheekily and B'Elanna looked at her with amazed eyes.

"Gladly, but we are still connected and can hardly move without my clitoris penis tearing your pussy." B'Elanna replied apologetically.

"Oh, that's a pity, of course." Root winked at B'Elanna and then kissed her deeply as her hand snaked between her and B'Elanna's entangled legs and searched for B'Elanna's first clit. Which was not hard to find, because it was hidden above the clitoris penis in a fold and actually nudged against Roots clitoris, if Root would position itself correctly. But she quickly rejected that idea and postponed it for another time.

Her long fingers touched and circled this little shy knot gently, making B'Elanna moan deeply and panting. Root grinned in the kiss and was thrilled to hear the sounds B'Elanna made as she started scratching the knot with her fingernail.

Pretty quickly, Root had developed a good rhythm, gently caressing, scratching and rubbing. B'Elanna groaned and took a deep breath as she felt her clitoris penis cock explode in Root's pussy, barbed, and began to twitch wildly.

Her hands ran over Roots back and clawed at her as she pulled Root close as close as she could and put her lips on Roots throat, bit into it and draw the blood into her mouth. Roots blood in B'Elanna's mouth was the last drop that overflowed the barrel of B'Elanna's feelings.

Root hissed and gasped with pain and lust and her hands gripped desperately at B'Elanna's body while both women huddled against each other's hips and a hot wave broke over them and erupted voluptuously from both of them. Their moans and screams mingled and their bodies arched as they slowly came back. Their hands closed and held tight.

Only after a while, when their breathing had calmed down and their bodies had stopped shaking, did Root raise her head and look at B'Elanna in love with her honey brown eyes and grinned wildly.

"Wooooooow" groaned Root quietly "Your little friend is pretty agile. Nevertheless, I would like to know where I could switch it off. I'd like to taste you and lick your pussy undisturbed, without running the risk that your little friend, my eyes, will sting."

B'Elanna stared at her speechlessly and blushed. "I have no idea how to turn it off. Until I met you, I did not even know that my second clitoris could swell into a penis. I do not even know if this is normal for Klingon." B'Elanna answered, embarrassed.

Root, still connected to B'Elanna by the clitoris penis and caressing B'Elanna's chest and circling her nipple, looked at B'Elanna again.

"Seriously?" She asked in astonishment.

"Yes, seriously. Before I met you, my second clit has never enlarged to that extent. Every now and then it happened that it swelled up, but only a few millimeters, but never as she did with you."

"Wow, I'm flattered." Root said, kissing B'Elanna gently.

"Do you know what?" Asked Root suddenly in the pleasant quiet, the afterglow.

"No what?"

"I'm hungry. I have not been hungry for ages because of my medication, but now I am starving. And if we were not connected, I would crawl between your legs and eat you up." Root grinned wildly and looked seductively at B'Elanna.

B'Elanna shakes her head and smiles. "What, do you want to start a third round?"

"Gladly." Root replied and put her lips on B'Elanna's nipples, bit into it, and thus drew a tempting noise from B'Elanna, who groaned deeply.

"You do not mind, do you?" Root mischievously asked as she broke away from B'Elanna's nipple.

"Normally not, but my clitoris penis will never fade away and we'll lie here forever and starve to death at the end." B'Elanna explained reasonably, whereupon Root pulled a pout.

"Okay, so what now?" Root asked disappointed.

"I am very happy with just lying here and holding you in my arms. I'm kinda scared to let you go." B'Elanna said quietly and sighed heavily. "This morning, when I woke up and you were not in my bed next to me, that drove me crazy. I'm afraid to fall asleep and wake up without you. Promise me you will not leave without me." Asked B'Elanna honestly and from the bottom of her heart.

Root looked at B'Elanna with her honey brown eyes and blinked suspiciously.

"B'E, I can not promise you something I might not be able to keep." Root answered softly.

"Okay." Said B'Elanna just then and closed her eyes and took a deep sigh. Root lifted her head and kissed B'Elanna gently on the cheek.

"But I can assure you that I will not go anywhere. At least not as long as your little friend bonded me to you." Root replied insolently.

B'Elanna looked at her and took Roots head in both her hands and kissed her long and tenderly on her lips, before she separated from her. "I love you." Then she whispered softly and in Roots eyes tears came running down her cheek.

"You do not have to say anything about it." B'Elanna pushed after, afraid that maybe Root answered, but the wrong one said.

Root gently looked at B'Elanna through her tears and nodded slightly with her head. She would also like to tell B'Elanna that she loved her, but she could not. Root was not even sure she knew how to love. Yes, she loved Sameen, but Sameen had been dead for a long time and it was safe to love someone who could not hurt her. And when Sameen was still alive, she could never say Root, "I love you," so Root never had to deal with it. She knew that Sameen loved her, in her own way. And that was enough for Root. And yes, she loved Seven, but she had discovered that she loved the young woman, like a little sister she never had. But did she love B'Elanna, or was she just attracted to her because she had so much resemblance to Sameen? Root had not asked these questions, and before she knew it, she could not tell B'Elanna.


	8. Chapter 8

Seven quietly stepped into Roots' sleeping chamber, holding in her arms a tray of breakfast she had prepared for her friends. Carefully, she put it on the dresser.  
B'Elanna had just said hello to her before she jumped in the shower. Root, on the other hand, was still asleep in her pillows.

Seven crept to her softly and gently stroked her back, which was covered by the blanket. Immediately, Root stirred and her eyes fluttered open. When she saw Seven, she smiled gently at her and Seven smiled back.

"Good morning sunshine." Root said in a sleepy voice and gave Seven a kiss on the cheek, before she pulled her into her arms and rolled with her in bed and a small fight arose.

After Seven Root invaded, both women laughed at their childish behavior.

"How are you?" Seven asked as her breathing calmed down.

"Very good and how are you? I saw you standing in the doorway yesterday when B'E and I had our fun." Root admitted and winked at Seven.

Seven blushed immediately. "I did not mean to ..." Root put a quick hand on Seven's cheek and stroked it gently.

"Sweetie, all right. No reason to be ashamed or to apologize. I hope you had a little fun watching us?"

Seven's head turned a shade red and Root grinned at her. "Yes." Seven said only then.

"Do you want to talk about it or do you have any questions that concern you?" Root asked caring.

"I'm Borg." Seven replied and winked at Root. "I know all there is to know about sex, I know the sex practices of over 10,000 different cultures." Confessed Seven confidently.

"Oh, what are you but a little smart aleck." Root shook her head in amusement.

"Okay, if you're so familiar, you might know more about Klingon physiology?" Root asked curiously.

"Yes, what question do you have about that?"

"I'd like to know if it's normal that Klingon women have two clits and one of them can become a penis?"

"Yes, that's normal, Klingons usually have many organs doubled, the genitalia are no exception. And yes, it is normal for the second clitoris to become a penis. However, many Klingon women are unaware that they do not need it because they live in heterosexual relationships. It has to do with the conservation of the species." Seven conscientiously revealed her knowledge.

"Interesting." Root murmured, snuggling back into the pillows and thinking about it before she came up with a new idea.

"Do male Klingons have two penises then?" She asked with interest.

Seven raised her eyebrow and looked at Root skeptically.

"I do not answer that question." She then said and crawled out of bed.

"Why not?" Root asked sulkily.

"Because this knowledge is unimportant for you. I do not see any point in answering that question for you." Seven replied, bringing the breakfast tray off the dresser.

"Breakfast." she said cheerfully, putting the tray down on the bed.

Roots eyes lit up immediately, as she was really hungry. It was not a lie when she said to B'Elanna last night that she was hungry for the first time in a long time.

"Sweetie, you are the best. Can I start or should we wait for B'Elanna?" Asked Root, looking at Seven with a dog puppy look.

Seven laughed and nodded her head. "I think you should start before you starve." Allowed her generously.

"Thanks, sweetie." Root gave Seven a quick kiss on the cheek, then crawled naked out of bed and quickly grabbed a panty and a shirt from a pile of things lying on the floor next to the bed.

Seven looked at her admiringly while Root dressed quickly and then hopped back to bed and grabbed a bowl of fruit, picked up a piece of fruit with his fork, put it in her mouth, and winked at Seven.

"Oh, you've already started breakfast." B'Elanna replied after returning from the shower.

"Sorry B'E, I was starving." Root said with a full mouth, grinning cheerfully at B'Elanna.

"It's okay, it does not often happen that you are starving and eating without having to force you to do it." B'Elanna said smiling and sat down on the bed and immediately took the plate with the rolls, the Fried eggs and the strips of bacon and eagerly began to shovel it up.

All three women sat in comfortable silence for quite a while, until B'Elanna's hunger was sufficiently satisfied.

"Explain to me your plan." asked B'Elanna Root and Seven looked curiously at B'Elanna, while Root was relish eating their fruit bowl empty.

"What plan?" Seven asked, interested.

"Oh, Root had last night, after I put you to bed, the crazy plan to go over to the Borg and steal transwarp coils." Explained B'Elanna and Seven made big eyes.

"That's not your serious, or Root?" Asked Seven horrified Root.

"Hm ... but I'm serious." she said as she pushed a piece of banana into her mouth.

"Then explain your plan." B'Elanna told her again.

"I'm glad, but to be honest, I'd like to take a shower first, if that's all right. I mean, I was a bit tired from yesterday's activities." Root replied and B'Elanna and Seven look closely at her.

It was true Roots hair was a mess, but both B'Elanna and Seven found Roots body scent quite exciting.

"Stop staring at me like that. I'm going to take a shower and then I'll explain my plan to you." Declared Root and grabbed from the dresser new underwear and took from the bottom of a pair of pants and a shirt and then left her bedroom hurry.

Seven and B'Elanna watched in astonishment.

"We will not visit the Borg and steal transwarp coils, will we?" Seven asked anxiously.

"No, we will not. At least not if Roots plan sounds too crazy and unworkable. Do not worry. I ... can I leave you alone with breakfast? I would like to ..." B'Elanna looked at Seven sheepishly. "Root help with showering." she said blushing a bit.

But Seven grinned at her cheerfully. "Yes, just go. I can handle the dishes already."

"Thanks honey."

B'Elanna quickly left the bedchamber and walked over to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, it was suspiciously quiet, so she tapped tentatively on the door. When Root did not answer, she opened the door and looked inside.

Astonished that Root sat motionless on the edge of the bathtub and was apparently far away in thought, B'Elanna entered the bathroom and went to Root.  
"Are you okay?" She asked softly.

Root blinked her eyes and looked at B'Elanna tenderly and in love. "Hm ..., yes, everything's okay with me." She said quietly, put her hands on B'Elanna's face and pulled it towards her. Then she kissed her hungry and greedy.

After a long kiss, B'Elanna gasped and slipped from Roots lips.

"You wanted to take a shower and I thought I'd help you with it." She winked and pulled off Roots shirt. Her lips settled on Root's shoulders and kissed a way over Roots collarbone, down to her small breast and lingered on it. Her tongue circled the small hard nipple and pulled it into her mouth while she held with her hands Roots hip.

Root put her hand on B'Elanna's back of the head and held him right where he was while she scraped B'Elanna's back with her other hand and groaned in pleasure.

"B'E, oh B'Elanna, I ..." Root pushed B'Elanna's head off her chest and looked at B'Elanna wistfully as she tried to draw enough air back into her lungs.

"I want you so much, my body screams for your touch, I ..." Root paused and looked away from B'Elanna, searching for the right words.

"Yes?" B'Elanna asked, looking at Root confused.

"I ..., I ..., ah, nothing. I should take a shower, we still have a lot of work to do. Can you please leave me alone?" Root asked softly.

B'Elanna looked at Root in surprise, then nodded her head and left the bathroom disappointed.

Root sighed heavily and wiped the tears that came out of her eyes with her hand in frustration. Then she quickly took off her panties and took a shower. How gladly she would have had B'Elanna in the shower with her, touching her and having hot sex. But all that had suddenly become too much for her. Her heart worked perfectly again, but still it felt broken.

************************

B'Elanna cursed wildly into the kitchen area where Seven was recycling the breakfast dishes.

"What happened?" Seven asked irritated.

"I do not know. Just now we kissed and touched, and the next moment Root asks me to let her alone. I have no idea what's going on with her. We take a step forward, then walk back two steps." B'Elanna sighed heavily and sat down at the kitchen table.

Seven shrugged her shoulders. "I think I'm the last one who can give you an answer to human behaviors." She said honestly.

B'Elanna looked at Seven in amazement.

************************

When Root was done with the showers, she immediately went to her bridge and looked at the analysis, which told her what was broken at her spaceship. After that, she went into the kitchen and looked overjoyed at B'Elanna and Seven.

"Okay, here is my plan. The Blink Drive is broken again, but I have enough spare parts on Antrie purchased, so it should be possible to solve the problem. However, I need your help with it. Assuming you're ready to help me?" Asked Root.

"Yes, clearly we will help you. We want to get away, so how are you going to make us invisible so we can steal the Borg and then get away with the transwarp coils?" B'Elanna asked curiously.

"Oh, *make us invisible*, you can forget that. I have a much better idea. Therefore I need your help too. I'd like you to fix the Blink Drive while I'm taking care of the plan." Root explained.

"What's your plan?" Asked Seven and B'Elanna at the same time. Root looked at them and sighed heavily.

"Well, I thought I write a code on my laptop, well, much more said a virus that would crash the Borg into chaos, while a handful of Borg dismantled the transwarp coils for us and beamed them over to us. In the chaos, hopefully the other Borg will not know what's going on. Once the transwarp coils are here, we will activate the Blink Drive and return to Voyager." Explained Root quickly.

"And what are you keeping from your plan?" B'Elanna asked skeptically.

"Hm ..." Root sighed heavily. "The virus is a little tricky. In order to be able to use it, he must get to the Borg. And that's the hard thing about it. In my opinion, it can only happen if I turn off the stealth mode and give the Borg the opportunity to scan us. As they scan us and scour the database, the virus is activated and thus gets into the Borg's main system, where it spreads quickly and then causes chaos. Should something go wrong, we can just jump away with the Blink Drive. Of course not equal to Voyager, so as not to endanger them." Root explained her plan very convincingly.

B'Elanna and Seven looked at her stunned. And Root looked at her uncertainly. Not that she really needed the permission to implement this plan, but it would be easier if B'Elanna and Seven approved her plan.

"What do you say to that?" Root asked impatiently.

"I do not know, one part sounds good while the other part sounds very dangerous." B'Elanna replied.

"Your virus can not hurt the Borg main system. You forgot that the Borg encryption codes will prevent this." Seven replied logically. But Root just smiled at her.

"Oh sweetie, I've already calculated that. Your or, in general, all Borg encryption codes are, once you understand the basis of them, fairly easy to circumvent or disable. Sorry, but it's a breeze, as it is." Root said, and Seven looked at her in surprise.

"It's impossible for you to know how to disable Borg encryption codes." Seven said arrogantly, sticking out her chin and putting her hands behind her back.

"I'm so sorry, but you're wrong this time. I know it pretty well." Root said, looking challengingly at Seven.

"Prove it!" Seven demanded.

"Gladly, but do not you think we have more important things to do?" Asked Root reasonably.

"No, I think it's important that you prove it. After all, you want us to deliver the Borg by leaving the stealth mode." Seven still persisted.

"Okay, okay. How am I supposed to prove it to you?" Root sighed.

"I'm going to create a Borg encryption code and you need to disable it." Seven replied coolly and went to the work console and quickly entered several Borgcodes into Roots computer system.

Root rolled her eyes and looked over at B'Elanna, who was also a little annoyed.

"Finished. Prove that you can disable this code." Seven stepped away from the work console and let Root approach her.

Root put her long fingers on the button on her work console and quickly entered some command codes. Within seconds, she had cracked the Borg encryption code. Triumphantly, she turned to Seven.

"Done, convince yourself." Root replied contentedly, and Seven looked at the data. Pale, she turned back to Root and B'Elanna.

"How did you do that?" She asked irritated.

"Sweetie, even as a kid, I understood computers better than humans. And as I grew older, it was easy for me to hack into a variety of systems. I admit the Borg encryption codes were a challenge for me at the beginning, but it was exciting and ultimately I decrypted them and got to the bottom of the base code. And since then they are a breeze." Root said and shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, kids, if you've been having a good time, can we get back to the really important things?" B'Elanna asked annoyed.

"Sure, I wanted to anyway, but our sunshine here, did not believe me." Root answered and pulled a pout.


	9. Chapter 9

While B'Elanna and Seven were busy repairing the Blink Drive, Root and her laptop had come near her to help with questions or problems with the repair.  
However, once Root started writing her virus, she had lost all of her mind on her work and was no longer responsive.

B'Elanna looked over and over and looked at her in surprise. Root had her glasses on, looked deep into her laptop, and her fingers flew over the keyboard, concentrating on numbers for hours.

"Who else in the world still wears glasses today, or what about the unwillingness to get rid of his scars from a skin generator or to have his heart operated on?" She asked quietly murmuring to herself and Seven looked at her curiously.

"Sorry Honey, I was just thinking aloud. I did not need an answer to that." Explained B'Elanna quickly, realizing that Seven might really think she wanted an answer.

"How can she lose herself so much in what she's doing?" She asked herself.

But even this question had been noticed Seven.

"I never thought she could crack the Borg encryption codes. I think she loves what she does. It's the same as you love the Voyager warp core and the Voyager itself, calling them yours. Sometimes you'll be like that and you can not really talk to me because you're too distracted from work." Seven replied, not turning to work.

"Nah, I do not think I'm so distracted by my work. Not as much as Root, anyway." B'Elanna quickly gave in and Seven raised her eyebrow and looked at her skeptically.

"Girls?" Came suddenly from Root and B'Elanna and Seven looked at her curiously.

"There is a problem. I went through the plan, the virus, and everything else several times, and the problem persists, no matter what I want to do or do about it." Root explained, glaring at the two.

"Okay, what's the problem?" B'Elanna asked.

Root sighed, removing her glasses from her nose and running her hand over her eyes. "The virus is the problem. I can only bring the whole unimatrix complex into chaos with it, but not exclude individual drones that we need to steal the transwarp coils for us. That's impossible. For this I lack the necessary information. I do not know which drone is stationed where and what function it has inside its cube. I have no idea where the transwarp coils are and what drones are working nearby. I can not exclude a drone specifically from the virus. I just can not." Declared Root and looked very depressed from the window on the Borg activities.

B'Elanna and Seven were silent for a moment as they dropped the information.

"Okay, then we'll go back to Voyager without the transwarp coils." Seven said firmly.

"Honey, wait." asked B'Elanna Seven and looked at Root insistently. "How long does the virus take to bring the Borg into chaos?" She asked more closely.

"The virus will spread immediately and within a few minutes, every Borg drone will do exactly the opposite of what it should do. However, the virus only lasts for an hour and then destroys itself. So the Borg can restore their order and ..." Root explained, before B'Elanna interrupted her.

"Wait, why does the virus destroy itself after an hour? Why can the Borg get back into their old state afterwards?"

"Because I do not want to destroy the Borg. I do not want to throw them into chaos forever. Sorry, I can not." Root answered exhausted and desperate.

B'Elanna looked at Root with an open mouth. Since they had ever had a secret weapon against the Borg and Root wanted to use them only temporarily, instead of completely stopping the Borg and destroy.

"Root, that's the Borg, they assimilate everything that gets in their way, and they do not care about their race, gender or age. You're destroying everything and you do not want to destroy them with the virus you came up with?" B'Elanna asked incredulously.

"No, I can not." Root replied, tears rolling down her cheeks. "The Borg are destructive and assimilate everything they value to be assimilated, but they are pure in the mindset and quest for perfection. Their basic motivation is to perfect themselves by assimilating everything that can make their species better. I can not do this. I ... no, I can not." Trying to explain to B´Elanna and she was sure she could not explain it very well.

How could she explain to B'Elanna that the Borg had been such a holy grail for Root since she had heard of them? How could she explain that Borg technology was so fascinating and so incredibly interesting to her? How could she explain that she herself wanted to be a Borg drone? She could not do that without B'Elanna declaring her crazy and imprisoning her in the nearest mental institution.

"Shhhht ..." B'Elanna had come to Root and gently wiped her tears from her cheeks and put her arms around her.

"It's okay ... we can find a solution. We do not have to destroy them." Said she reassuringly to Root, when she realized that Root really did see the Borg differently than the rest of the galaxy. Root might even have found her more than fascinating.

Root shuddered after a moment of leaning against B'Elanna and thinking about her inability.

"No, it's not okay. I thought it would work. I thought it would be a breeze. I'll just have to find another way." Root said determinedly and put her glasses back on her nose and put her fingers back on the keyboard. But before she could start again, B'Elanna put her hands in her hands and held them tight.

"No, how about a break? We should eat something and maybe discuss our options that we have. Okay?" B'Elanna asked gently, Root sighed deeply and then nodded her head.

"Okay." She said tiredly and let B'Elanna lead her from the bridge to the kitchen.

As soon as they reached the kitchen area, B'Elanna pulled Root into her arms and held her tight. Root lowered her head to B'Elanna's shoulders and breathed a kiss on B'Elanna's neck.

"I ... I wanted so much to steal the transwarp coils for Voyager and help you get into the Alpha Quadrant." Root whispered softly.

"It's okay, the Voyager will come back, even without the transwarp coils."

"But it will take longer and the crew will be exposed to many more dangers than if they could return now." Root replied and broke away from B'Elanna. 

"I could beam over, get the transwarp coils, and be back in no time." Root explained excitedly, and B'Elanna looked at her startled.

"No, that will not happen in any case. Forget it. I'll never let that happen. Do you understand me?" B'Elanna asked and looked challengingly at Root. But Root turned and walked around the kitchen area, thinking feverishly about how best to recover the transwarp coils.

"Root? Did not you just listen to me? I said *no*"

"Yes, I've heard you, but who are you that you are allowed to choose what to do and what not to do?" Asked Root very uncharacteristically for her.

B'Elanna did not know what to do and stared at Root stunned.

"The Borg are dangerous, they are not the ones you hold them for. You can not reason with them and act with them. All they will do is to assimilate you without first asking who you are and what you want them to do. Root, to let you do that would be a death sentence." B'Elanna replied after she regained her composure.

"I know that the Borg are dangerous. But do you really think I'm so stupid to beam myself over without protection and just allow myself to be assimilated by them?" Root hissed angrily.

"Yes that's what I think. Also, I think that sometimes you do not live in reality, but you dream the reality nicely, or you think you're the biggest, that can handle everything, and that the Borg succumb to your charm and therefore they'll just give the transwarp coils." B'Elanna cried in frustration at Root, who flinched slightly and took a step away from B'Elanna.

Seven, who had heard the argument from the bridge, stepped between the two. "Stop arguing, that´s do not take us further." she said with a stern look.  
B'Elanna and Root looked at her sheepishly. Root then sat down at the table while B'Elanna stopped.

"Okay good. Let me put it this way, to be honest, I do not need your permission to go to the Borg. However, I need your help. I have no idea what transwarp coils look like, where to find them and how to disassemble them. Therefore, it would be easiest if we work together. But if you deny me your help and think to stop me, then I have to tell you that you are wrong. No matter what and how you decide, I will do it. And to be precise, I've been in far more dangerous situations in my life. Okay, this situation is a little different ..." Root said, tilting her head and smiled crookedly "but does not make the whole thing any more dangerous. Seriously, the Borg drones are like zombies, they are slow and virtually brain dead, they only do what they are told. But with my virus they will not even be able to do that anymore. Where should the danger be?" Root said and Seven and B'Elanna looked at her distraught and stunned.

"What are zombies?" Both women asked simultaneously and Root smiled widely at her.

"Zombies are deadpeople who can still walk around, attack others, kill them, and turn them into zombies. Depending on which movie you are watching, they are incredibly slow, so you can easily run away from them and in other films or series, they are very fast and also aggressive. But zombies do not really exist. The Borg are very similar to them in some ways. Instead of killing you and turning you into zombies, they assimilate you and make you a Borg drone. But are Borg drones very slow or have you seen a drone run?" Root asked with a grin as she imagined what that would look like.

"Oh, and there's something else, you know who is actually much more dangerous than the Borg? No? Okay, these are the very people who would fanatically believe in a cause and kill for it or even sacrifice their lives. They are unpredictable and can do a lot of damage. But the Borg, in my opinion, very predictable, one can take a certain risk into account and take care by the appropriate measures be careful." Root was in a rage.

"If you ask me, you're just one of those who is unpredictable and fanatically overachieving and deliberately endangering themselves." B'Elanna explained dryly and shook her head.

"Hm ... To be correct, Root is partly right. The Borg are slow and they will not be able to hear commands when the virus upsets the main system. The danger could therefore be really lower than we estimate." Seven answered.

"Honey, what side are you on?" B'Elanna asked, upset.

"I do not stand on any side, I have only agreed that various dangers can be excluded by the virus. But there's another thing I have to think about."

"Oh, and that would be?" B'Elanna asked annoyed and rolled her eyes.

"Root can not go to the Borg alone. If she did, then you both would feel pain at the same time." Seven said determinedly and both women looked at her irritated.

"What do you mean sweetie?" Asked Root, before B'Elanna did it.

"Did not you notice?" Seven asked in amazement.

"No, tell me." B'Elanna demanded impatiently.

Seven sighed heavily, sometimes her girlfriends were really hard of time.

"When Root returned to the planet yesterday, you broke down at the conference and you were writhing in pain. However, as soon as Root was beamed back to Voyager and you were together, you both recovered well at the same time. Last night, when Root almost died because her heart was about to fail, you were in great pain again. After my nanoprobes got into Roots bloodstream and healed them, your pain also stopped. This allows for the logical conclusion that, as soon as you are apart or one of you is hurt, you feel pain at the same time. Therefore, Root should not go to the Borg alone."  
Root gave Seven a confused look, but B'Elanna clicked and she slapped her forehead.

"Treena said something similar on Antrie. He said when I stumbled out of the accommodation, that our glow had intensified and that we were even bonding by a thin band. I dismissed it as nonsense and did not think about it any further. I mean we were in a hurry to come back to Voyager. But now that you say it honey, it makes sense anyway." B'Elanna sighed and sat down at Root's table.

Without realizing it, her hand slid across the table, enclosing Roots hand, which had also been lying on the table. Root looked over at her and looked at her.

"That's nonsense. How should such a bonding have been created? And why should she be good? That does not make any sense." Root shook in disbelief her head and then saw thoughts lost from the window on a Borg cube, which just flew over.

Was she really bonding to B'Elanna by an invisible band? If so, what would that mean? From now on, would they always have to stay together? Was this band guilty of being attracted to B'Elanna, like the moth of light? What would happen if one of them died and the tape would kill the other? Or would the other be free again?

"Okay, let's test it out." Root said, grabbing a knife from a drawer and cutting quickly into the palm of his hand. Everything went so fast that neither Seven nor B'Elanna could stop them.

B'Elanna's hand immediately began to throb wildly and hurt. Root looked irritated and puzzled B'Elanna's pain-stricken face. She quickly ran to her and took her in her arms.

"B'E, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, I did not know or thought that Seven is right."

She said desperately and tears ran down her cheeks. The pain in her own hand did not hurt her as much as seeing B'Elanna in hurt.

Seven had meanwhile quickly brought a medical kit from the medical area and quickly prepared a skin generator. Then she took Roots hand and healed her with the skin generator. Once the wound was closed and healed, B'Elanna's pain had gone.

B'Elanna looked at Root angrily and Root quickly broke away from her. Then she turned and walked quickly out of the kitchen area to her bedroom. She locked herself in and sank to the floor on the inside of the door.

"Shit, that'll change everything." It kept poking through her mind as she sat there drifting away, caught in her own thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

**Voyager**

All of her leadership officers, except for Seven and B'Elanna, sat around the conference table and discussed how to proceed. Kathryn was too tired and too scared that she would never see Seven again, when she wanted or could participate in the discussion. She had been analyzing the sensor data over and over all night to see if there was any indication of where Root could have flown with her spaceship. But nothing had resulted. She was upset and everyone had heard. But unlike usual, she did not care this time. She loved Seven, and if she had lost her now, then she really was all that mattered to Voyager, her crew and her mission. She only wanted to retire to her quarters and crawl under her covers. Therefore, she sat quietly in her chair, thinking of Seven, letting her senior officers decide what to do next.

Chakotay now and then looked anxiously over at his captain. Unwilling to participate in the discussion or decide anything, he had taken the lead.

"Okay, I think that's the best solution we can find. Captain, what do you say to that?" He asked Kathryn.

Kathryn looked around irritated in the round. "I'm sorry, I just was not involved." She apologized to Chakotay.

"We decided that we would fly best to the planets that Seven had already chosen for the shore leave. We think we'll leave a probe here, with a Borg encryption code that Harry will set up, indicating where we are. So B'Elanna and Seven will know where to find us if they return in time. We decided to extend the shore leave to one week. If they are not back by then, we'll head for the Alpha Quadrant again. What do you say to that?" Chakotay explained in summary.

"Yes that is a good idea. Please take over the command for today. I will ..." she continued, instead she got up and left the conference room.

Everyone looked after her worried. Everyone knew the captain was worried about Seven and B'Elanna. But the last few hours all came to the same assumption that there was more going on than they had previously noticed.

"What's going on?" Tom asked in the round and got an angry look thrown by Chakotay.

"I think that is a private matter of the captain, in which we should not interfere. Tuvok and Harry please prepare the probe, Tom set as soon as we drop the probe, a course to the planets on which the shore leave is to take place. And I will look for the captain. Back To work, men." Chakotay said and hurried after Kathryn.

**At the Borg**

Seven, B'Elanna, and Root were beamed to the Borg cube, which was farthest from the main complex. To protect herself, she had equipped Root with her holoprojectors, which had been programmed by her to shield her from every part of her body, making her invisible to the Borg drones as a precautionary measure.

Root looked fascinated and curious about the area where they had been beamed. They stood in a corridor. Link from them there was a railing. Root looked down and could see an estimated 20 decks before the greenish-shimmering light made Borg impossible to see further down. To their right, there were a number of alcoves, from which the Borg drones rose, to go back in and then get out again. They did that unceasingly and Root watched them fascinated and awed. She would have liked to get closer to see her better. But she did not dare, for fear the Borg drones unintentionally draw attention to themselves.

B'Elanna and Seven were standing next to her, all three of them carrying the same weapons Root had used on Antrie to keep the Feared Safety Officers away from them when they were about to collect Breenara's dead body.

Seven went first, followed by B'Elanna and Root. As they walked down the hall, Root saw the chaos that had caused their virus to the Borg. She felt uncomfortable that she had hurt the Borg so much.

The Borg drones they met on their way to the drive chamber were clearly disoriented and acting chaotically. Some ran repeatedly against bulkheads or nonsensically entered orders in workstations. Others waved their arms uncontrollably in the air.

Suddenly there was a humming noise from the corridors, about two or three levels higher. The sound deepened into a louder, shrill sound that suddenly shrieked away. All three women turned in the direction of this unpleasant, almost aching sound came from.

Root's eyes widened as she realized what the noise was. Quickly she turned to B'Elanna and Seven, but it had already happened. A large, twisted metal plate that looked sharply sacked at its sides and was about the size of a door hit B'Elanna and Seven, quickly killing both women in seconds, leaving only two lifeless, bleeding, battered bodies underneath. Root cried out loud and shrilly in the face of this scene.

**********************

B'Elanna quickly ran into Roots bedroom and pulled the still deeply desperately traumatized, screaming and crying root into her arms and tried to calm her down.

Roots heart pounded so incredibly fast and hurt deeply inside her, in a way she had experienced before. Back in the basement of the Stock Exchange, when Sameen lay heavily wounded on the floor and she herself was trapped in the elevator and Martine walked on Sameen and aimed her gun at Sameen's head. At that time she screamed desperately and her heart had hurt. (Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VukJ4bswv5E)

"Root, Shhttt ... everything is okay. It was just a dream. Please calm down. All is well. I am here with you. Shht ..." B'Elanna whispered in Roots ear, over and over again, while she held her tight in her arms and gently rocked her to calm down. It took quite a while for Root to come around, looking confused and disoriented at B'Elanna.

In Root's eyes, B'Elanna could see the great pain Root was feeling and it broke her heart that Root had dreamed so badly.

"Shhtt ... it was just a dream. Everything is fine." B'Elanna repeated over and over, while Root clung to her body, stopping screaming but still sobbing and crying desperately.

In the meantime, Seven had also hurried to Roots bedroom and helplessly sat down next to Root and B'Elanna. She gently stroked Roots her back and her head.

"Honey, please get a sedative." asked B'Elanna gently asked Seven, who immediately went to the medical station and searched in the emergency case for the appropriate means.

Root turned from B'Elanna's embrace and wiped the tears from her face. "No, that's okay. I'm good. I do not need any sedatives." She said and crawled out of bed. On wobbly legs, she looked around disoriented in her bedroom and looked for something.

"What are you looking for?" B'Elanna asked quietly and also irritated.

"Nothing, everthing is fine. I do not really need it. I ..." When Root finally found her Ugle Doll, she took it in her arms and hugged it to her chest. With that, she wandered back and forth across her bedroom, murmuring to herself.

B'Elanna looked speechless.

Root closed her eyes and muttered Mathematical Formulas, to reassurance. At some point she had learned that from Dominique, when something was too terrible or too scary, one should first withdraw, rest in things that calm and do something, and slowly put the situation on hold and look for possible solutions. And that's exactly what Root did.

She was not afraid of the Borg, but she was terribly afraid of losing Seven and B'Elanna. To make sure that did not happen, all she had to do was abandon the plan to steal the Borg transwarp coils and fly back to Voyager. So discard plan and move the tail? Good idea, but very cowardly. Root wondered how she had gotten so cowardly. In the past, she was definitely not like that. Okay back then, she had only herself and not really anything to lose. Then Sameen came and she became a coward. She was suddenly scared that what she had, loved to lose. She lost her bite and her courage. She tried to survive, but life remained on track. They had been cowardly instead of actively acting and fighting for what was important to them. She did not just want to survive, she wanted to live.

But did she really want that? She wanted to hold Seven and B'Elanna safely and bring her back to Voyager, but she also wanted to meet the Borg. B'Elanna would not let her go alone, and Seven pointed out that they were connected. What was such a completely idiotic thing. How did that happen? And why should that be good? Root asked as she continued going, muttering, holding on to her Ugle Doll.

B'Elanna and Seven had watched her awhile for a while.

"Root?" Asked B'Elanna after she could not stand to see Root so crazy.

Root stopped abruptly and saw B'Elanna was irritated. Almost as if she had forgotten that B'Elanna and Seven were present.

"Okay, that's it, we're flying back to Voyager." She said determinedly and put her Ugle Doll on the bed and walked out of her bedroom.

B'Elanna and Seven looked at each other in surprise, but quickly got up and ran after Root.

"Root wait. Seven and I, talked about all the risks a bit earlier and actually decided to steal the transwarp coils. We think that this mission can be successful if we take some precautions." B'Elanna quickly explained.

Root looked at B'Elanna closely and blinked her eyes in confusion. Then she nibbled on her lower lip and thought about it.

"What precautions would that be?" She asked after a quiet moment.

"Well, for one thing, when they were studying the Borg, Seven's parents had a small device that they could use to beam back to their spaceship whenever there was danger. Then you had this gun on Antrie, with which you threw the security officers away. And then we had an idea, it may sound strange, but maybe it makes sense. We thought we would disguise ourselves as Borg drones, so we will not fall into the chaos over there." Explained B'Elanna, looking at Root expectantly.

"How did you want to disguise yourself as drones in God's name?" Root asked skeptically.

"Well, with your holoprojector. You can do anything you want with them. You've proved that on Antrie more than once. We just project a clothing that looks similar to the Borg drones and they attract us."

"Hm ..." Root mumbled and sat in her pilot's chair.

"What, you have nothing more to say about that?" B'Elanna asked in astonishment.

"Why do you want to pursue this plan, where I just said we're flying back to Voyager? You've been against my plan the whole time, and all of a sudden, are you in favor? I do not understand you both. Who are you and where are the originals?" Asked Root irritated.

B'Elanna sighed deeply. 

"Seven and I, we talked about it a little bit earlier, and honestly, I do not really care about the transwarp coils. I do not necessarily have to go back to the Alpha Quadrant and Seven either. However, a return would be more conducive to her relationship with Kathryn, as she is pretty much a Captain. Therefore, we have agreed that we need the transwarp coils to come back quickly. So we changed our mind about your plan." Explained B'Elanna.

Seven nodded her head and agreed with it. Root looked at both women in turn and then sighed deeply.

"So you want us to continue the plan, at any cost?" Root asked again.

And B'Elanna and Seven answer together, "Yes, we want."

Root sighed heavily, "Okay, let's get this over with."


	11. Chapter 11

"Ready?" Root asked her two friends, after using the holoprojector to transform their looks into Borgdrohnen and each holding an energy weapon in their hands.

Seven fidgeted a little nervously, nodding her head. B'Elanna looked wildly determined and nodded her head as well.

"Alright, I disable the stealth mode. Be prepared to beam to the coordinates prepared by us. Okay, it starts." Root said in a shaky voice. Her lower lip trembled, so she took it between her teeth while deactivating the stealth mode.

For a very long moment, nothing happened and the three women looked at each other worriedly. But then a green scan light came out of a Borg cube, near them, and began to scan Roots spacecraft, while the Borg's usual saying sounded over the spaceship's loudspeakers.

**"We are the Borg. Disable your shields and surrender yourself, we will add their biological and technological characteristics to ours, their culture will adapt and serve us, resistance is ..."**

Then the saying stopped and Root was sure that her virus in the unicomplex was now spreading and causing chaos.

"Okay, on three, two, one." Root said, pushing her beam device.

A short time later, she materialized into a Borg cube they had chosen for their mission.

To Root's relief, the Borg cube did not look like her dream. They had been beamed into a corridor that was flanked to the left and right by many work desks. In between, several Borgdrohnen ran back and forth disoriented.

Root stared at her and could not move in awe. She really stood in the middle of a Borg cube and in front of her were real Borg drones !!! How crazy was that? It went through her mind. Her eyes started to shine and she unconsciously started to smile. She had already seen pictures of them, but being so close to them deprived Root of any ability to think rationally and spiritually normal. Seven and B'Elanna were forgotten.

After several minutes, when Root just looked at the Borg drones in wonder, she remembered why she was here. Hurriedly she took out of her bag, which she had hidden under the Borg costume, what she needed and went to a work console.

****************************

Seven and B'Elanna had already hurried down the corridor when B'Elanna noticed that Root was not behind them.

"Honey" she called Seven and Seven stopped abruptly. "Root is gone, I'm going to look for her. Go ahead. We'll come after you." B'Elanna said and hastened down the hall.

Seven, who had no opportunity to answer B'Elanna, sighed heavily. But then she made way to the drive chamber, which was only a few steps away from her. Once there, she immediately activated a force field to keep her safe and began to carefully disassemble the transwarp coils.

****************************

B'Elanna quickly ran down the hall and her heart pounded wildly. She was terrified that Root was happened. But when she got there, where they'd been beamed a few moments ago and she saw Root plugging a cable into a work console and then connecting it to a synaptic transceiver that had attached it to her neck, building there infinite anger in her.

She quickly gripped Root's wrist and pulled it away from the synaptic transceiver so she could not connect the cable to it. Root looked at B'Elanna in surprise and anger. Angrily, she tore her arm away from B'Elanna and pushed her aside with all the strength she could muster. She quickly connected the cable to the synaptic transceivers. Her eyes went glassy as they connected with the Hive consciousness and she heard the billions of voices speak in her head. Completely in a trance, she listened to them. Until the billions of voices were suddenly louder and louder and began to scream chaotically in her head. Root cried out loud in pain and grabbed her head and tried to release the transceiver. But before she could do it, the pain became so great that she collapsed unconscious.

B'Elanna, who also felt the same pain as Root, had tried to get up during that time. But only when Root had collapsed unconscious, the pain subsided. Hurriedly she scrambled up and crawled over to Root and examined her quickly.

"Shit, what are you doing for a crap?" B'Elanna asked angrily, then pulled the cable out of the synapse transceiver, grabbed Root and lifted her over her shoulder and hurried down the hall to Seven.

****************************

Seven had already dismantled two transwarp coils and was about to dismantle the third when B'Elanna came to her with the unconscious Root.

Seven looked at her in surprise and quickly deactivated the force field so that B'Elanna could get into the drive chamber with Root.

"What happened?" Seven asked in amazement as she got back to work.

"I do not know exactly. But I suspect that she had connected with the synapses transceivers with the Hive consciousness. I wanted to stop her, but she just pushed me away and then joined." B'Elanna cursed sourly and furiously as she carefully dumped Root on the floor to help Seven with the transwarp coils.

Seven looked at B'Elanna in surprise and raised her eyebrow. "She was connected to the Hive consciousness now that the Borg have fallen into chaos?" She asked in surprise.

"I suspect the cable was stuck in a workstation that she certainly connected to the Hive consciousness." B'Elanna replied sourly.

"I hope she has not hurt her own brain. It is not very advisable to associate with the Hive Consciousness in this state in which the Borg are currently located." Seven said honestly and turned back to work.

B'Elanna joined her side and helped her. Within a few minutes, the two had then dismantled the third and the fourth Transwarpspule. Seven put the four transwarp coils in her backpack while B'Elanna lifted Root back onto her shoulders.

With a nod, B'Elanna confirmed that she was ready to beam back to Roots spaceship.

Once they were back in Roots spaceship, B'Elanna put the unconscious root in the copilot chair and strapped it on. Seven had already sat down on the pilot's seat, so B'Elanna took the chair, which was standing next to a work console, and also strapped on.

"Okay, ready. Let's get out of here."

Seven activated the Blinkdrive and a few seconds later, they were outside the Borgteritorium.

"Where are we?" B'Elanna asked eagerly.

"Exactly where we wanted to go. Shall we now enter the coordinates where we left the Voyager?"

"Yes, do that. I think Root needs the Doctor and we should get the transwarp coils to Voyager as soon as possible." B'Elanna replied quickly.

Seven hastily entered the coordinates and once again activated the Blinkdrive.

But when they arrived seconds later at the coordinates where they had last seen the Voyager, space was empty.

"Shit." Broke it out of B'Elanna.

Seven eagerly scanned the area and found the probe Voyager had left behind.

"Voyager has left a probe behind, I will bring it in and analyze it."

"Okay, do that. I'll put Root to bed and see what I can do for her. But as soon as she's awake again, I swear I'll rip her ass off and shoot her from the nearest airlock, for the shit she just pulled off at the Borg." B'Elanna scolded wildly to herself.

Seven looked skeptically at B'Elanna and raised her eyebrow.

"Honestly, as soon as she's awake and alert again, she'll get a proper timpani who has washed herself." Explained B'Elanna decisively and lifted Root from the copilot chair.

****************************

B'Elanna carefully placed Root in her bed and brushed the strands of hair out of her face, studying her closely.

"Shit, it does not work that way." She murmured softly, gently stroking Roots cheek.

This started to move slightly and moaning to open her eyes. When she saw B'Elanna, she stared at her disoriented.

"What happened?" Root asked in a scratchy voice and tried to sit up. But somehow that did not work.

B'Elanna looked at her angrily and annoyed. "What's happened? You connected with the Borg and they roasted your brain. That's what happened." She hissed angrily and crawled out of bed.

"This can´t go on like this. I can´t do this anymore. I thought that there is something between us that I care about you. But I was wrong. I no longer believe that this could work between us. Better stay out of my way because I swear I'm just so mad at you I could turn your neck." B'Elanna cried to Root and then going angrily out of Roots bedroom.

Root blinked her eyes in confusion and stared after her. Then she did what she always did in such situations, she closed her eyes, sighed deeply, suppressed everything that was unpleasant and turned her attention to the future. Undoubtedly, they would get into the Alpha Quadrant very quickly with the transwarp coils and until then, much had to be done.

So she picked up her laptop and started working.


	12. Chapter 12

After Root had done the grossest work in a short time, she went to the bridge of her spaceship.

Seven was sitting at the control console, obviously assuming the pilot's position. B'Elanna sat next to her and seemed to assist her.  
When both women noticed Root, B'Elanna stood up and left the bridge without looking at Root only once.

Root sighed heavily, then sat down to Seven.

"Hello sweetie, where are we?" She asked quietly.

"We are on our way to Voyager. They flew on, but left a probe behind, telling us where they were going. Since this was only a few hours ago, I am sure that we will catch up with her soon. How are you?" Seven asked a trace too icily.

Root bit her lower lip, wondering if Seven did not want to be her friend anymore. But instead of asking, she pushed it aside and instead asked what was most important.

"Thank you I'm good. What do you think how long it will take the Voyager to install the transwarp coils on Voyager?"

Seven looked at Root and thought for a few seconds. "Since Voyager already has experience with the transwarp coils, it may take only a few hours to install and operate."

"How long does it take for us to get into the Alpha Quadrant?"

"Since we have four transwarp coils, I would say that it takes about 6-10 hours. Should I calculate it more exactly for you?"

"No, no, all right." Root waved and looked at Seven sadly. "Then tomorrow we'll be home again." Root said to himself and nibbled on her lower lip.

Then she sighed deeply before getting up. "Can I give you the control for a few hours or do you want to be replaced?"

Seven looked at Root questioningly. "I'm able to continue steering your spacecraft." she answered conscientiously.

"Good thank you. I'm in my bedroom, if anything."

Seven nodded her head and continued to operate the control panel controls.

Root turned and went to her bedroom. There she started packing her things and cleaning up her sleeping chamber. After she had finished, she sat down on her bed and took the picture with Sameen in her hands and looked at it.

"I'll be back tomorrow." she said sadly, laying back in her pillows and pressing the image to her chest.

Root wondered how long she was gone. It seemed like years, but it probably was not even two weeks. Is funny how different one perceives the time.  
As she thought about what would happen to her as soon as she returned, she fell asleep exhausted.

***********************

"Voyager, here is the 'Sameen Shaw' asking for permission to re-enter Voyager." Seven called Voyager. They had actually caught up with her within a few hours.

"Here's Voyager, permission granted." Harry answered cheerfully and at the same time very relieved.

He quickly called the captain and informed she that Root's spaceship had reached Voyager again.

Kathryn, who could not sleep anyway, even though it was already 2 o'clock in the morning, quickly changed into a new uniform and hurried to Hangar Deck 1. She arrived just in time when Seven opened the hatch from the spacecraft and stepped out.

Kathryn quickly ran to the young woman and pulled her into her arms, happy and relieved. She did not care who saw it or whatever that person thought about it. All she cared to do was to embrace the woman she loved everywhere, never to let her go again.

Seven gently gave the hug back. Both women were quiet for a long time. Kathryn's face was filled with tears of joy and she sniffed a bit. Seven broke away from her, gently wiping the tears from Kathryn's face.

"Hello" she said softly and Kathryn laughed cheerfully at her. "Hello" she said as well, pulling Seven back into her arms. Seven had been gone for only a day and a half, but the uncertainty of seeing her ever again had taken Kathryn a great deal.

B'Elanna, who had also climbed out of the spaceship, looked at the two lovers with a wistful look. She herself had decided not to say goodbye to Root. She wanted to quickly install the transwarp coils and make the trip to the Alpha Quadrant.

"Captain?" She asked impatiently.

Kathryn broke away from Seven and looked at B'Elanna. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to disturb your connection, but we stole the Borg transwarp coils. I would like to install it so that we can start the journey home." B'Elanna replied.

"What?" Kathryn asked confused.

B'Elanna shifted uneasily from one leg to the other. "We have transwa ..."

"Yes, I understood that already ..." Kathryn interrupted her "but how did you do that and how did you come to the Borg?" She asked, frowning.

"That's a long story." Seven and B'Elanna responded simultaneously.

Kathryn stared at the two women with her mouth open for a moment, then cleared her throat.

"Well, I expect both of you a report tomorrow. For today, we should first go to our quarters and find some sleep." Kathryn Capitainsmäßig ordered.

"But I would like to ..." B'Elanna began before Kathryn raised her hand to silence her.

"No, there's time until I read your report, we all sit down and talk about our next steps. Do we understand each other?" She asked sternly.

B'Elanna nodded her head, then let it hang and then sneaked out of Hangar Deck 1.

"What's up with her?" Kathryn Seven asked worriedly.

Seven sighed deeply before answering. "B'Elanna is quite disappointed with Root and has decided not to see her anymore. Root, on the other hand, has retreated to her bedroom and has not come out since."

"Hm ... I think the two will work it out together. Come on let's go home." Kathryn put her arm around Seven's waist and pulled her towards the turbolift.

"Go home?" Seven asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Yes, my quarters are your quarters, of course only if you want it. Oh darling." Kathryn pulled Seven into her arms as soon as they entered the turbolift and kissed her hot and hungry. "I was so terrified I would never see you again and I was very worried about you." She finished her sentence after getting away from Seven again.

"Please never let us argue again and split into arguments. Yes?" Kathryn asked quietly and Seven smiled gently at her.

"I'm sorry that I quarreled with you and then left you. I promise that I'll never leave you again after a fight, but first explain myself with you." Seven answered honestly and Kathryn looked at her tenderly. "Thank you darling."

As soon as both women entered the quarters, they hugged each other again and kissed long and deeply.

The rest of the night they spent cuddling up in bed, holding on and kissing each other gently and tenderly.


	13. Chapter 13

"Good morning Kathryn, Thank you that I may come over." Root said as she entered the Captain's ready room the next day.

"Sit down, why did you want to talk to me?" Kathryn asked expectantly and sat down on her couch and took a sip of her coffee. Root, however, remained standing in the ready room holding her hands tightly.

"First of all, I wanted to apologize for putting Seven and B'Elanna at risk. I take the full blame for what happened in the last two days. I wanted to give you a quick overview of the events." Root explained, fidgeting a little from one leg to the other.

After Root explained to Kathryn everything that had happened in the last two days, Kathryn looked at Root with a steady gaze.

"How did you get to the Borg so quickly and why were the Borg your target? You always said that you wanted to return to the Alpha Quadrant."

"Unfortunately, I can not explain how we got so fast into the Borg territory, which is subject to a very high security level, which I must not break. And why we flew into the Borgraum, I do not want to explain that to you. I just wanted to make it clear that everything was my idea and therefore everything is my fault. Seven and B'Elanna are innocent." Root said, waiting for Kathryn's reaction.

"Well, I've registered your admission of guilt."

"Will you use the transwarp coils?"

"Yes, we will definitely. But first the leading officers have to be informed. And then we will be able to install the transwarp coils and finally come home."

"Once Voyager gets into the Alpha Quadrant, a few things will happen. I'd like you to know that a lot has happened since your departure, and that the Alpha Quadrant, as well as Starfleet, has not been the same since the Dominion War as before. There are rumors that there is a secret organization called "Section 31" which secretly protects the earth. However, they do not always move on the legal path and they use every means at their disposal to achieve their goals. They are very dangerous in my opinion, especially for Seven. They will certainly target and certainly capture them to gain access to their borg technology. Please promise to pay attention to her." Pleaded Root Kathryn desperately.

Kathryn looked at Root startled and stunned. "What are you saying? There is no "section 31". I've already heard of these rumors, but they're just rumors." Kathryn Root tried to reassure her.

Root stepped quickly to Kathryn and sat next to her, taking her hands in hers and looking at her seriously.

"Please Kathryn, watch Seven and keep her safe. It does not matter if there is "Section 31" or not, because there are so many others who will be interested in Seven and her borg technology. Please promise me!" Root asked desperately.

Kathryn nodded her head and Root breathed in relief.

"Thanks, I intend to fly off with my spaceship in a few hours, even before you install the transwarp coils. Therefore I would like to thank you now for your hospitality, your patience with me and your friendship. I'll never forget it. Thank you Kathryn." Root pulled Kathryn into her arms and hugged her tightly. 

Kathryn gave the hug back and wondered why she suddenly had a Kloss in the throat, given this farewell.

After root again broke away from Kathryn, she got up. But before she could leave the ready room, Kathryn grabbed her arm.

"Root, please also take care of yourself and please get in touch if you need help. Promise me that we will stay in touch." Kathryn sincerely begged and Root had to swallow once, twice.

"I'm not sure I can promise you that. I'm pretty sure you might not want to see me again once we're back home." Root said softly.

"Why do you think so?" Kathryn asked irritated.

"Well, because you're going to find out who I am." Root said dejectedly and finally turned around and quickly left the ready room. Kathryn looked after her irritated.

************************

"B'Elanna?" Root asked as she came into the engine room and found B'Elanna working at a workstation.

B'Elanna looked at Root surprised, first because she had called her B'Elanna and secondly, she had not expected to see Root so quickly again.

"I know you do not want to see me, but could we talk to each other for a moment?" Root asked and looked at B'Elanna pleadingly. B'Elanna nodded to her and walked over to her office. When Root entered, she closed the door and sat down behind her desk. Root stopped, however.

"First of all, I wanted to apologize to you. I'm sorry that I put you and Seven in danger yesterday. I can understand well that you are very angry with me and do not want to see me anymore. But there is this thing with * connectedness*. I'll leave Voyager in a short time, even before you install the transwarp coils, so I got this for you." Root put a hypospray on B'Elanna's desk and then took a step back.

"I asked the doctor to give me something for pain. Of course he wanted to know more about what it was about. Well, I deactivated him and created a hypospray myself. I hope it helps you. Bye B'E." Root said sadly and turned around in a hurry.

B'Elanna was torn between her anger at Root and her feelings, which she still felt for Root. But before she could decide to stop Root, she had already stepped out of her office and left the engine room.

B'Elanna frustratedly took her coffee cup in her hand and threw it with all her strength against the wall.

"Shit." she murmured.

************************

Root entered the casino and strode purposefully toward the kitchen area.

"Neelix?" She called and shortly thereafter she saw the head of Neelix looking out of the kitchen.

"Yes?" He asked, but when he saw Root, he began to shine. "Root, nice to see you again, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, thank you, but I do not need anything. I just wanted to say goodbye to you. I'm leaving Voyager in a short time." Root replied, pulling the Talaxian into her arms and hugging him. Neelix also wrapped his arms around her a bit perplexed and gave the hug back heartily.

When Root parted from him, she smiled gently at him. "Are you staying here in the Delta Quadrant or are you traveling to the Alpha Quadrant with Voyager?"

"Well, the news that you stole transwarp spools from the Borg went through the ship at lightning speed. I have not had the time to think about what I'm going to do." said Neelix.

"Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best, and if you're traveling to the Alpha Quadrant, just visit me. I would be very happy. Here's my address." Root gave Neelix a note, which he took a closer look at and then shoved it into his trouser pockets.

"Goodbye Neelix" Root hugged Neelix again, gave him a peck on the cheek and then hurriedly left the casino.

"Goodbye." said Neelix sadly.

************************

"Hello sweetie"

Seven turned and looked at Root in surprise.

"Hello." She said softly.

"Listen, I'm sorry, what happened yesterday. I can understand that you, like B'Elanna, are mad at me. But hey, I wanted to tell you a few goodbyes before I fly off with my spaceship." Root replied, stepping from one leg to the next.

Seven looked at her in surprise. "You do not stay?"

"No, I wanted to leave before that. With my blink drive, I can always return to the Alpha Quadrant. So why wait?" Root said and sighed heavily.

Seven quickly approached Root and pulled her into a tight hug. Root wrapped her arms around Seven, hugging her tightly and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, please take good care of yourself." Root whispered in Seven's ear before she broke away from her.

"Are you flying back to the Borg?" Seven asked anxiously, looking at Root intently.

"No, I fly directly to the Alpha Quadrant. I have a lot to do and my work is waiting for me. When you're in New York City, how about we go have coffee together? That's my number, just call, I'll always be there for you sweetie." Root said smiling at Seven.

Seven took the note and looked at it. She quickly memorized the number.

"So this is not a goodbye forever?"

"No sweetie, it's definitely not. You'll see, we'll meet again in a few days."

"Why does it feel that way?" Seven asked uncertainly.

"Perhaps because of the spirit of departure. But I promise you that we will meet again in a few days. I love you and you are my little sister."

"What about B'Elanna?" Seven asked before Root left astrometry.

"She does not want to see me anymore. I think that does not leave much room for a friendship. See you soon, sweetie." Root said, stepping out of astrometry.

************************

After Root had driven to the Hangar Deck 1 with the turbolift, she quickly got her laptop and some cables out of her spaceship. Then she went to a hatch and crawled into a Jeffries tube. After several meters she stopped in front of a panel and sat comfortably in front of it.

Then she removed the panel and looked at the gel pack. Quickly she got her laptop and several cables from her shoulder bag and connected everything with her laptop. Next, she placed two long needles in the gel pack and connected the needles with an adapter, which in turn was connected to the laptop cable. Root took a scanner out of her backpack and tried to locate the appropriate interface to connect to the Voyager's main computer. Once she found them, Root started her laptop and entered several codes of an algorithm that contained a virus that was supposed to erase all logbook entries, mission reports, and presence logs that contained their name. Within half an hour, any indication that she was ever on Voyager had been removed from the main computer. Satisfied, she packed her laptop and her cables and put everything in her shoulder bag.

After crawling out of the Jeffries tube, she closed the hatch and turned in the direction of her spaceship. But before she could go there, she was pushed from behind against the bulkhead with full force.


	14. Chapter 14

"What did you do in there?" B'Elanna hissed at her from behind.

Root turned her head in surprise to her and looked at her startled.

"I deleted all the evidence that I was on Voyager. It's better if nobody knows I've ever been here." Root answered honestly.

B'Elanna looked at her confused, but still pressed Root against the bulkhead. Root tried to turn away from her grip. "B'E you hurt me, release me." She demanded after realizing that she could not free herself.

"I can not. I can not release you. I ..." B'Elanna did not really know what she was doing here, all she knew was that she did not want to let Root go. With one hand, she brushed Roots long hair aside and blew kisses on the back of her neck.

"B'E" Root moaned softly and wanted to turn to her. But B'Elanna still held her firmly against the bulkhead.

"I want you, I need you." Growled B'Elanna and Root smiled broadly at her. "Then take me!"

B'Elanna did not want to say that twice. "Open the hatch and crawl into the Jeffries tube." Commanded B'Elanna and gave Root a little more clearance.

After Root loosened the hatch, she crawled into the Jeffries tubes, followed closely by B'Elanna. After a few meters, B'Elanna put her hands on Roots legs and held them tight. Root stopped abruptly and looked questioningly at B'Elanna.

"It's good here." she said curtly, taking Roots legs in her hands and opening them for herself. Then she crawled in and put her upper body on Roots back as her pelvis pressed against Roots buttocks. "Right here, I want you." She snarled, putting her hands on Roots ass and stroking hungrily over them, next she angrily ripped down Root's trousers and panties and released her ass and pussy.

Quickly she opened her own pants and pushed them down. Her clitoris penis was already swollen, so she pushed him with full force in Roots pussy. Since Root was not ready yet, she yelped with pain. But that did not interest B'Elanna. Her hands held Roots hips tight as she fucked Root, angry and hungry.

Roots fingers had clawed at the floor grille as she moaned loudly at every thrust of B'Elanna. Very quickly, both women reached their climax and B'Elanna, who was still so angry with Root, deliberately pulled her clitorispenis out of Roots pussy. As the barb the clitorispenis were still buried in Roots shell, Root cried out in pain.

"That's how I felt when you joined the Borg Consciousness." B'Elanna, who felt the same pain as Root, screamed her angrily and started to cry.

Root, her pussy throbbing painfully and smeared with blood, turned and pulled B'Elanna into her arms, hugging her tightly. B'Elanna also clung to Root.  
For a long time, they were clasped together in the Jeffries tubes. B'Elanna's tears had dried up, as had her anger on Root. Slowly, the realization that she had deliberately violated Root crept in her mind.

"Oh Kahles, how can I love this woman so much, but at the same time hurt her so much?" B'Elanna wondered desperately and tears came back into her eyes.

Root kissed the tears that ran quietly over B'Elanna's cheek before laying her lips on B'Elanna's lips and kissing her. Then she turned from B'Elanna's embrace and crawled away from her to look at her clothes.

"Hm .." she sighed softly, her pants and panties were ruined.

"I have to go." She said quietly and B'Elanna looked at her irritated.

"You still go?" She asked.

"Yes, I have to." Declared Root and smiled at B'Elanna "Come with me."

B'Elanna looked at Root wide-eyed.

"We should stay close to each other anyway, because of the band that bonding us." Root added later.

"But ..." but before B'Elanna could continue talking, Root put her two hands to B´Elannas head and pulled him close to her face.

"Please come with me. I can not promise you anything or tell you that I love you. The only thing I can tell you is that I desire you as you are and are attracted to you, like the Borg of perfection, as the Ferengies of profit, the Vulcans of logic, and ..."

"Shhtt ... I understood you. Please stop with these comparisons. Okay, I'll come with you. But I have to tell the captain. I'll go right now. But if I come back and you're not here anymore, then be sure to find you and rip your little sweet ass."

Root looked at B'Elanna in amusement. "Is that a threat or a promise?" She asked insolently.

"Oh, you'll remember that when the time comes." B'Elanna took off her uniform jacket and handed it to Root. "Come on, I do not want you to go half naked, to your spaceship."

"Thanks, B'E." Root smiled broadly and gave B'Elanna a quick kiss on her lips. Then she crawled past B'Elanna to the exit of the Jeffries tube.

"How long will you need?"

"Not long, I'm just looking for a few things from my quarters together and then I'm back here immediately. Prepare everything for the start."

**********************************

While B'Elanna rushed quickly to the captain to tell her that she wanted to fly with Root, Root went into her spaceship. In her bedroom she pulled out of the closet her business suit and pulled it sighing "That was it, the holiday is over." After she was dressed, she styled her long hair to an updo, similar to the hairstyle, the Seven still had a few days ago.

Then she prepared everything for her departure on her bridge.

**********************************

When B'Elanna returned, she had packed a bag of some things that were especially important to her. She put this in Roots bedroom. Amazed, she realized that the sleeping chamber was tidy and there was nothing left. Frowning, she left the bedroom and went to the bridge. There she found Root in pilot chair, while she entered several commands in the control console.

"Root?" B'Elanna asked irritably, as Root turned to her and she looked so different than usual.

"Come sit next to me. How was the captain?"

B'Elanna sat down next to her in a copilot's chair and strapped herself on. "She was not thrilled, but let me go when I quickly explained everything to her. And as soon as Voyager is in the Alpha Quadrant, I should contact her. I had to promise her that. Why are you so dressed?"

"The holidays are over, I'll have to go back to work as soon as we get to the Alpha Quadrant. But B'E, please stay close to me, yes?" Asked Root timidly.  
B'Elanna took her hand and kissed a gentle kiss on it. "Promised"

"Good, because I'm sure a lot of things will happen as soon as we get back. I'll need you." Root said softly.

B'Elanna looked at her irritated, then nodded her head. "Do we want to go?" She asked and Root nodded to her.

Root got the permission to start pretty soon and as soon as they left the Voyager, Root activated the Blinkdrive and with a Plob the "Sameen Shaw" from the Delta Quadrant disappeared.

Seven, Kathryn, and the bridge crew had looked at the departure together. Wistfully Seven looked at the blank screen in front of the front.

"Okay, let's install the transwarp coils and also return to the Alpha Quadrant." Kathryn told her crew over the speakers. The crew in the engine room, then started under the guidance of Lt. Carey with the work on.


	15. Chapter 15

With a plob, the "Sameen Shaw" materialized in the Alpha Quadrant. Root then entered several codes in her control console and transmitted a transmission that sent her into the vastness of space. B'Elanna looked at her curiously, but Root just winked at her.

"What now?" Asked B'Elanna after Root did not seem to want to set a course on Earth.

"Nothing, we'll just wait." Root replied relaxed. Inside, she was mentally preparing for what would happen soon.

"On what?" B'Elanna asked uneasily.

"On that what will come. Do not worry, it will not be long. Relax yourself."

As a result, both women sat quietly in their respective chairs and looked out the window. Root had taken B'Elanna's hand in her hand and stroked her thumbs over B'Elanna's back of her hands in thought.

*******************

"Here's the Pegasus, please report." A message suddenly came out of the speaker. Root immediately sat down in her chair and clicked on her control console several buttons.

"Hello, this is the" Sameen Shaw" please for recording."

"Please allow, we set the tractor beam and pull in the 'Sameen Shaw'. Please keep ready." The voice rang again.

B'Elanna looked at Root in amazement, but Root was too busy turning off her spacecraft and systems.

The "Sameen Shaw" was then gently pulled with a tractor beam into the hangar deck of the Pegasus. B'Elanna looked in astonishment out of the window. The Pegasus was about three times, no, almost four times the size of the Voyager.

Once the "Sameen Shaw" had been safely positioned in the hangar deck, Root quickly grabbed her shoulder bag, which had been lying on the floor next to her, and hurried to the exit. B'Elanna followed quickly.

"Captain Nolan" greeted her immediately the big bearded man standing in front of her spaceship. The captain, who had first looked grim, grinned at Root suddenly and pulled her into her arms.

B'Elanna looked at the two in amazement with open mouth.

"Sam, it's so nice that you're back alive and well. Let me take a look." He said and pulled Root away and looked at her closely. His smile faded and he looked at her seriously.

"The whole galaxy was looking for you. Everyone has been terribly worried about you." He said blaming and Root guiltily lowered her head.

"Where have you been and who did you bring with you?" He asked.

Root raised her head and smiled at the captain. "I was in the Delta Quadrant, struck the Borg, stolen their transwarp coils, stuffed them with Voyager, and went back. This is B'Elanna Torres." Root cheered, and Captain Nolan looked at her with sparkling eyes, then pinched in Roots cheek.

"Then you had a lot of fun girls." Then he handed B'Elanna his big hand and squeezed her powerfully. "Come on, Peter is waiting for you in the conference room, he's just about to tell The Board of Directors that you're back." Root sighed but she was beaten and let Captain Nolan pull him towards the turbolift. B'Elanna hurried after them.

"How was it with the Borg? Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked as they climbed the turbolift.

"Well, that's a long story that I'll definitely tell you on occasion." Root sighed and Nolan understood what she meant by that.

B'Elanna, on the other hand, looked back and forth between the two. She was not sure what was happening here. And that made her uncomfortable and partly angry.

"Root?" She hissed softly and Root looked at her in surprise. "What's going on?" She asked and Root smiled gently at her. "Nothing B'E, just the usual madness. I'll explain it later. Please be patient." asked Root her friend.

"Okay, there we are, have fun." Captain Nolan said, and vanished in the other direction as Root walked purposefully toward a door.

"Miss Groves, it's nice to see you again. Are you alright?" Asked a young man in a suit.

"Peter, it's nice to see you again. I'm good. How are things?" Asked Root as she sat down at the large conference table, took off her shoulder bag, and B'Elanna motioned to sit beside her.

"The board of Directors is aware of your return, they want you to return to Earth as soon as possible. The fleet that searched for you in the Alpha Quadrant has been recalled. Miss Logan sends warm greetings and she wants to see you as well. Otherwise, several news channels have announced that they want to convene a press conference. The press department is therefore already running at full speed. They ask you to say nothing before everything has been discussed with them." said Peter busily.

Root listened intently. "Impressive how much happened in such a short time. I also have some stuff that I want to clarify before I return to Earth." With that, she pulled her bag around and rummaged around in it, carrying out several small data chips.

"First of all, the most important thing. The Voyager, the starfleet spaceship, which disappeared from the Alpha Quadrant about 7 years ago, will return in a few hours. I want Starfleet to be informed that the Voyager and her crew to be under my personal protection once spaceship is back. I also want to buy the Voyager. Please try to figure out how much credit Starfleet is willing to give me the Voyager." Declared Root and handed Peter the first data chip, with all the relevant data regarding Voyager and its condition from a technical point of view, but also from the general condition.

"Furthermore, we need a human rights lawyer, I want the doctor of Voyager, a MHN, to be granted the right to be a sentient being." Another data chip went to Peter, who has much information about the doctor, his abilities, and his learned emotions contained.

"Then I need personal protection for Seven of Nine. I am worried that "Section 31" wants to keep an eye on her and kidnaps her. For all other crewmembers, I'd like to have the lawyer available to give them extensive advice and support as Starfleet debriefings begin. This is especially true for the crew members who were previously with the Maquis members. Here's a list ..." Root handed Peter another data chip. "From crewmembers who I think will fit us very well. Please provide this list to the Human Resources Department with a note to set up appropriate employment contracts with references to salary, housing and career opportunities." Root paused and looked at Peter for a moment.

"I think that's it for now." She sighed and turned to B'Elanna. "B'E, do you remember something I have not considered yet?"

B'Elanna shook her head and swallowed, twice. She had absolutely no idea what Root had just deducted and why she believed that all her claims were justified.   
But this Peter had zealously noted down everything, the respective data chips neatly stowed in his briefcase and brought no objections.

"I will arrange everything. Should Captain Nolan fly the Pegasus back to Earth?" Asked Peter shyly.

"No, I want to be there when Voyager returns. I want to make sure that everything is alright with the spaceship and the crew." Declared Root and stood up.

"Oh, there's something else, I do not want anyone to know I've ever been to Voyager. Furthermore, I do not want the Voyager crew to know that I'm responsible for everything that's going to happen now. We follow the usual protocol." Declared Root and Peter nodded to her.

"I'll let the board of Directors and Miss Logan know." He said and left the conference room.

Root turned to B'Elanna and sank into her chair, sighing.

"Root, what does all this mean? Please explain it to me." asked B'Elanna looked at Root pleadingly.

"B'E, it's not so easy to explain that, can we go to my quarters first and rest for a moment?" Root asked softly.

"Okay, but then I want to know what's going on here."

"OK. Come on." Root took B'Elanna's hand and pulled her through the door to the nearest turbolift. On the way to the turbolift they met some crew members who greeted Root and B'Elanna in a friendly way.

*******************

When they finally arrived in Roots quarters, B'Elanna looked around in wonderment as Root settled on the couch.

Root's quarters were huge, so big that Kathryn Janeway's quarters would fit in at least three times. The walls were decoratively clad in a bright yellow tone, the furniture looked stylish and looked comfortable. There were several rooms. A large living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small gym, and a work area for root. B'Elanna wandered around the area in amazement, then sat down next to Root on the couch after a while.

"Explain it to me." She said decisively.

"I am one of the richest women in the Alpha Quadrant." Root sighed, eyes closed.

"You're what?" B'Elanna asked in shock.

"I am ..." Root started again, but B'Elanna immediately interrupted her. "I have already understood. What I do not understand is why you never told me that? When did you intend to tell me?" She asked angrily.

Root opened her eyes and straightened up.

"I just told you. Look, this is not important to me. I do not need it and I do not want it either. My sleeping chamber on "Sameen Shaw" would be enough for me. But I am forced to bring this life. Every now and then I go to the "Sameen Shaw" and try to escape, but so far I have not managed to escape far enough from all this. They always found me and brought me back." Root grinned crookedly.

"Do you know how beautiful it was that nobody on Voyager knew who I was? It was so liberating to be just who I really am. I'm Root." She said determinedly and looked at B'Elanna.

Then she pointed with her hand toward the quarter door.

"Those out there only see Miss Samantha Groves, one of the richest women in the Alpha Quadrant, in me and treat me like that. Just a handful of people, like Captain Nolan, treat me like a normal human." Root said softly.

"The board of * Bear Industry * even wanted to have me put on incapacitate so they could operate my heart without my permission. Can you believe that?" Asked Root angrily. B'Elanna shook her head in disbelief.

"And so I fled to the Delta Quadrant to join the Borg. I would rather be a Borg drone than admit me incapacitate and be forced into something I never wanted. I did not want this life here. I just wanted to get away and find peace. Do you understand that?" Asked Root desperately.

B'Elanna looked at her distraughtly. "Why can the board do something like this with you? And why did you let them handle you like that? You are rich and you should be able to determine your own life." She asked furiously.

"Usually that's the way it is, but it's a little different for me. I am the heir to Bear Industry and Harold, a very good friend of mine, has built up this company and inherited it. Through my friendship with him, I am bound to the heritage. I have obligations that I have to pursue in his interest. But B'E, there's more." Root said softly and looked sheepishly away from B'Elanna.

B'Elanna put her fingers under Roots chin and turned her face back to herself. "Please tell me." asked her gently.

Root sighed deeply and her eyes moved to the ceiling. "I almost died in 2015. (Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRu2HtQSaRw)

At that time I was working for an artificial intelligence, we called it "the machine". I was her interface for her. In a firefight I was seriously injured and the machine put me in a cryogenic chamber. This is about the same as a stasis chamber. Back in the 21st century, the latest craze was freezing and later being cured when medical technology was about to be thawed again. Anyway, the machine let me freeze, of course without my permission and I was in there for about 360 years. Two and a half years ago, I was thawed and my injuries were healed. Only my heart left her alone because there were precise instructions. The machine knew that I did not want my heart to be operated, no matter what. "Root looked at B'Elanna with bright eyes and B'Elanna looked at Root dumbfounded and speechless.  
"When I learned that I was frozen for 360 years, I thought that was a bad joke or that I was in a simulation. You know, the best way to neutralize an enemy is to deprive him of his reality. At that time, the machine and our group helping the machine had a powerful opponent - Decima. Decima also had artificial intelligence. Samaritan. Samaritan fought our machine and we, their human agents, were caught in the crossfire. Sameen was abducted for months and Samaritan subjected her to over 7000 simulations. When Sameen escaped, she no longer knew what was real or unreal. Samaritan had broken her mentally and psychologically. She was not the same anymore. And so did I when I learned how long I had been frozen and how the world had changed over the centuries. I could not believe it. Even today I often think that this is all too crazy and therefore can only be a simulation." Root paused and looked around the quarter lost, before she spoke softly.

"I lost everything, Sameen, the machine, my friends and my reality. All the people who ever meant anything to me had been dead for at least 320 years. The only thing left to me was the legacy of Harold. Harold was also the one who created the machine back then. He was very important to me and a role model for me. I had sworn to protect him and to defend against Decima and Samaritan. I failed." Root declared in a shaky and trembling voice. Many tears ran down Roots cheeks, which she wiped away angrily. "Well, that's my story." She said sadly and got up. Quickly she went to the replicator and ordered a glass of old Scottish whiskey, she drank in a train.

B'Elanna looked at Root shocked and did not know what to say. Before she had a chance to speak, the door buzzer sounded.

Both women looked at the door in alarm. Root wiped the tears off her face, straightened her business suit, and put on a cheerful face.

"Come in" she said in a clear voice, and shortly afterwards the door opened and an elderly woman hurried in.

The older woman pulled Root into her arms and hugged her tight.

"Oh Miss Samantha, I was so worried about you. Are you alright? Where were you?" Asked the older woman after storming herself from Root. She studied her closely and let her eyes wander over Roots body. "And how thin you look. I will cook something nice to eat immediately. And why all those tears?" She asked. But then she saw B'Elanna and stopped in front of her.

"Hello, I'm Cloe and who are you?" She asked immediately and Root jumped to her side.

"Cloe, this is B'Elanna, she's mine ..." Root hesitated and did not know how to explain to Cloe what B'Elanna meant to her. But Cloe patted her cheek and gently stroked it.

"All right, I understand it." She said friendly and Root smiled warmly at her.

"I am pleased to meet you. Incidentally, you also look as if you could take a bite. Any wish for the meal?"

B'Elanna looked at her wide-eyed. "I do not know, but I would love to eat something." she said shyly.

"Good, I thought so. How about something hearty?" Cloe asked, already heading for the kitchen.

"Yes, that would be great." Called her B'Elanna behind.

Root looked amused at B'Elanna and winked at her. "Come" she said, handing B'Elanna her hand. "Let's go help Cloe."

When both women entered the kitchen, Cloe had already picked out some kitchen utensils and taken out food from a freezer.

"Cloe, did you come alone?" Root asked, sitting down at the kitchen counter while B'Elanna stopped beside her, wrapping her arms around Roots waist and holding her affectionately.

"Oh no, the rest does his job. The boys are in front of the quarters, Sally is with Peter and discusses everything with him. Dr. Humbert is in the infirmary. When we first arrived, a crew member was just injured. The poor boy had injured himself at a plasmaline and dr. Humbert assists the doctor in the infirmary. After hearing that you're okay, he said he'll come after surgery and do a health check with you." Explained Cloe, as she started to prepare the food.

"So we're all gathering again." Root sighed softly. "What happened while I was away?" She asked bravely.

Cloe looked up from her work, giving Root a serious look.

"Hm ... the board immediately ordered a search for you. They were sure they would find you quickly. But with no signal from the "Sameen Shaw," you were at a loss, and the search was systematically extended to the entire Alpha Quadrant. The press got wind of it and it was speculated wildly, what could have happened to you, where you are, whether you have been kidnapped, or even died? Everyone has been very worried about you for the past two weeks. Miss LaRue was so annoyed that she even got sick and dr. Humbert worried about her. Sally says she already told Miss LaRue that you were back alive and well. She's probably going to report it soon." Cloe said, giving Root a meaningful look that was supposed to mean that Root should report to Dominique first, rather than the other way around.

Root nodded her head and leaned even closer in B'Elanna's embrace.

"So that means I caused a lot of trouble and has to pay now." She sighed and Cloe nodded to her. "Yes, that's it."

"Okay, as soon as Voyager turns up here and I'm sure it's okay with her and the crew, we'll go back to Earth and I'll fix everything." Root said decisively.

"Is that so?" Cloe asked, giving Root a crooked grin. "As?"

"I will pledge improvement, repent and resume my work and what is most important, which will greatly please the board, my heart is healed, so I am fully operational." Root explained cheerfully and Cloe looked at her wide-eyed.

"Yes, Cloe it is true, my heart is fully functional again, but it was worth a small unauthorized trip, right?" Asked Root cheeky and stole a piece of vegetables, which Cloe just cut small.

"If it's true, then yes. How did that happen?" Cloe asked curiously.

"Is a long story, I tell on occasion. But now I should look for Sally and go through my duties with her." Root said, turning away from B'Elanna's embrace.

B'Elanna and Cloe looked at her stunned. "But the food is ready soon." Cloe cried in frustration and Root winked at her.

"I'll be right back and Sally can explain all the tasks to me during the meal." With that, she kissed B'Elanna gently on the cheek and hurriedly left the quarters.

B'Elanna and Cloe frowned for a moment, then Cloe sighed and continued preparing the vegetables.

B'Elanna sat down on the chair where Root had just sat and watched Cloe at work a little uneasily.

"Ma'am, do you need help with food preparation?" She asked shyly but received a crooked grin from Cloe.

"No, it's okay. But you could already set the table. That would be really nice of you. And please do not call me * ma'am * I feel twice as old as I am."

B'Elanna smiled warmly at her. "Okay, but only if you call me B'Elanna." she replied and Cloe nodded happily. "Gladly."

*******************

When Root came back after half an hour, she had a young woman and two tall, muscular men.

"Hello, I'm Sally." said the young woman cheerfully and handed B'Elanna her hand. "I'm Miss Grove's assistant." She babbled happily on.

"B'Elanna" B'Elanna said, looking a little uncomfortable with Root, who stood behind Sally and grinned at her cheekily.

"B'E, this is Henry and Mason, my bodyguards." Root introduced the two men who stood beside her like two huge cabinets.

"Miss Torres, we need some stuff from you to create your authorization pass. We need your blood, an iris and fingerprint scan, your personal details, your life history, as well as a criminal record, a health certificate and, last but not least, a newly created psychological safety certificate." Henry came straight to the heart of what he said you needed.

B'Elanna paled and looked at Henry stunned. Root, on the other hand, had a great laugh and chuckled softly.

"B'E, this is just the little security check, you should see what the boys want to do when they make the big security check." She said and put her hand on B'Elanna's shoulder.

"It's got to wait until after the food." Cloe's voice, which was just setting the food on the dining table, echoed.

"Guys you stay to eat, right?" Root asked and Mason and Henry nodded eagerly. "Wonderful, then let's eat." Root demanded. "Cloe, you too."

Cloe started to refuse the invitation to eat, but Root had already stepped up to her and gently pushed her onto one of the chairs in front of her. "Please" she whispered to her quietly and Cloe was beaten.

Cloe quickly loaded the plates with food for everyone, adding more to the men than to the women. B'Elanna frowned at her and she got more food from Cloe on the plate. Whereupon B'Elanna gave her a big smile.

B'Elanna, Henry and Mason were eating their food hungry while Root, Sally and Cloe slowly ate their food and enjoyed it.


	16. Chapter 16

After dinner, Root apologized and withdrew to her study with Sally to discuss business matters. Cloe took care of the kitchen, and the bodyguards gave B'Elanna a temporary authorization pass after taking a blood test, an iris, and a fingerprint scan of her. With that, she could, if she wanted to explore the Pegasus in the areas that were released for her. But as she was exhausted, she retired to the bedroom, which had shown her Cloe.

Since her arrival in the Alpha Quadrant, she had learned so much from Root that she felt practically beaten to death. How could Root deal with just such story as background? No wonder Root sometimes did some weird things when she was in the Delta Quadrant. Given that, the things she had done seemed to be in a completely different light.

Here on the Pegasus, within moments, Root was immediately surrounded by all sorts of people who took care of her. Cloe, who cared for her physical well-being, Sally, the assistant, the bodyguards, and so on. No wonder Root on Voyager felt so good. There she was free and could move freely. Here on the Pegasus she was transformed within a short time. The sassy flirting side of Root had been pushed aside and instead a serious and quiet woman had become her.

B'Elanna spent a lot of time thinking about Roots story and how it changed, and so she got far too late for Root to sneak into B'Elanna's body and squeeze her onto the bed with a stormy kiss. B'Elanna returned the kiss hungrily and put her arms around Roots body and pulled her towards her.

"Hello" Root said as she gasped. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" B'Elanna asked, gently stroking Roots back.

"All right, I'm having a break and wanted to check on you. I'm really sorry I can not keep you company." Root replied apologetically.

"It's okay, do not worry, I understand that you have a lot to do. May I ask you something?"

"Yes, sure." Root went to bed next to B'Elanna and looked at her expectantly.

"Why do you want to buy the Voyager?"

"I want her for you, Seven and Kathryn. Voyager is yours and Seven's home. And I can well imagine what Starfleet will do with Kathryn after the debriefings. They will carry her and make her an admiral. But not because they think she deserves it, but because they are afraid of her. They are afraid of someone who has survived for seven years in the Delta Quadrant. Such a person will no longer be easy to command. Therefore, they will condemn them to a desk job where they can keep an eye on them and where they can not harm them." Root explained convincingly.

B'Elanna had to swallow, she had never thought of that. The whole crew just wanted to come home, but hardly anyone thought about it. What will happen to them all then.

"In addition, the Dominions war has heavily added to Starfleet. Many spaceships were lost during the war, destroyed and many Star Fleet officers were killed. Once the Voyager returns, your crew will be disbanded and deployed wherever gaps on other spaceships need to be filled. But when I buy the Voyager, I offer each crewmember the opportunity to continue serving on Voyager. Only, with the difference that they no longer serve the Star Fleet, but for * Bear Industry * work." Answered Root honestly and B'Elanna looked at her in surprise.

"Wow, I did not think you'd give me that explanation."

"Why not?" Root asked astonished and sat up.

"I do not know. I'm sorry. I ..." B'Elanna pulled Root back into her arms and hugged her.

"I did not know that Voyager and the crew are so important to you. I thought that you were alone because of the Borg in the Delta Quadrant, and that only interested you." Confess B'Elanna honestly.

"You are right, in the beginning it was only my wish to meet the Borg, but then I met Seven, you and Kathryn. And somehow you have ..." Root sighed deeply.

"Yes?" B'Elanna asked curiously.

"Oh no, I have to go back. Sally is already waiting for me. We assume that Voyager will arrive here in about four hours. You will be beamed back to be on board Voyager. Once I've seen that everything is okay with Voyager and the crew, the Pegasus will bring us to Earth. I do not know, do you want us to meet again tonight or do you want to meet your family or do other things first?" Root asked, turning away from B'Elanna's embrace and trying to get up, but B'Elanna pulled her back to herself and kissed her sweetly on her lips. Root melted away and fell into B'Elanna's embrace.

"I want to be with you. There is no place where I would rather be than you." B'Elanna replied and Root looked at her with a dreamy and gentle look.

"Really?" Root asked again.

"Really. Tell me, why do not you want the crew to know you want to buy the Voyager and the crew is under your personal protection?"

Root looked awkwardly away from B'Elanna. 

"I just do not want they to know who I really am. I want they to continue to see Root inside of me and not a rich chick who bought her spaceship on a whim and is doing some stuff now." Declared Root.

"What kind of stuff are you planning to do with the Voyager?" B'Elanna asked curiously.

"Well, from the technical point of view, she would absolutely need an upgrade and the interior would also need to be done a lot. No worries, Voyager will be the same when I'm done with her, just fancier and technically advanced." Root told cheerfully, grinning broadly at B'Elanna.

"And what are you going to use it for?"

"Oh, there are many possibilities. You were in the Delta Quadrant and discovered and researched a lot of new things there. With a blink drive, Voyager could travel to the Beta Quadrant or Gamma Quadrant to continue exploring. Or the Voyager could be used for testing new drive systems. There are definitely a lot of uses."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Cloe looked in with her head.

"Dr. Hubert is here, he would like to examine you."

"Thank you Cloe, please send him in." asked Root hopped happily from the bed.

"Neil" Root said beaming, throwing her arms around the Doctor's neck.

"Sam, it's nice to see you so merry." He said and gave the hug back.

"Cloe told me that your heart is healthy again? How did that happen?" He asked as he broke away from Root.

"A friend injected nano probes because my heart was failing. The nanoprobes cured it then. Neil, may I introduce you to B'Elanna Torres?"

"B'E, this is Neil, my personal family doctor. He has saved my life quite a few times." Root explained cheerfully.

Both shook hands and eyed each other for a moment. Neil released B'Elanna's hand and turned back to Root.

"I would like to examine you. Of course, just a little checkup. But once we get home, there's a big checkup." Neil said friendly and Root gave him a wry smile.

"Okay, get started."

Neil frowned at Root.

"What?" Asked Root confused and Neil looked at her sheepishly and then he looked over at B'Elanna.

"Oh, that's fine. B'Elanna and I are ..." Root searched for the right word again, but before she found it, B'Elanna came to her aid.

"I am her girlfriend and I know her condition very well. But, if you wish, I can wait outside too." B'Elanna said warmly.

"No no. You can stay under those circumstances." Neil replied, putting his doctor's bag on the bed and pulling out a tricorder. He let this move over Roots upper body and observed the data on the display. After a few minutes, he smiled at Root.

"Your heart beats strong and regularly. It's really cured." Neil said, pleased and Root grinned at him. "Yes, thanks to Borgnanoprobes."

Neil raised his eyebrow. "Borgnanoprobes?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes, it's a long story. But Neil, there's something else. B'Elanna and I, we are physically bonding somehow. When I'm in pain, B'Elanna also has the same pain, when we're far apart we both feel bad. Have you ever heard of such a bonding?" Asked Root and Neil looked at her irritated and thought feverishly.

"No not yet. I'll do some scans, maybe I can get to the bottom of that." Neil explained, but B'Elanna waved off quickly.

"Our doctor on Voyager has already done scans and found nothing that would have explained our condition, once we were very far apart." B'Elanna replied and Neil frowned at her.

"Hm ... okay, so if it can not be explained by scans, I honestly do not know what it could be. Do you have any idea what you were bonding to, what did you do at that time?" Neil asked curiously and looked at both women attentively.

Both B'Elanna and Root blushed and looked away from Neil in embarrassment.

B'Elanna gave a jerk and sighed deeply.

"We were on an alien planet, the inhabitants of the planet told us that we are shine and bonding by a thin ribbon. At first I dismissed that as a nonsense and did not think about it any further. Until there were these incidents, and our friend Seven, who listed the relationships and explained to us that it has to do with ourselves."

"The Antrans, that's the name of the inhabitants of the planet, described our shine in something that I concluded that they meant our aura." Root pushed afterward.

Neil sighed deeply and rubbed his hand over his forehead as he began to ponder the details.

"If it's something spiritual that bonding you, then I really have no idea about these things. It sounds like it might be something from the Bajoran religion." Neil answered after a while.

B'Elanna and Root looked at Neil in surprise. "Do you think the Bajorans could tell us what it is and how we can get rid of it?" Root asked quickly.

Neil looked at Root a bit helplessly. "I dont know. The Bajoran religion just came to my mind. It may be possible for them to help you, but it is equally possible that they are also at a loss." Neil, said honest.

Root grin appeared on Root's face, and her eyes sparkled.

"Well, I think we should find out." Root said and disappeared into the next room.

B'Elanna and Neil watched in astonishment. "Root?" B'Elanna asked skeptically and ran after her quickly. Neil joined her.

"What you up to? What are you doing?" B'Elanna asked worriedly.

"I quickly parked some things and picked out more comfortable things for the trip to Bajor." Root eagerly explained as she opened several doors in the large dressing room and searched for the appropriate things.

"You want to go to Bajor? Now?" B'Elanna asked horrified.

But Root only gave her a big smile. 

"Yes of course. Now is the best time. I will never have such a good opportunity again." She explained cheerfully and B'Elanna looked at her speechless.

Neil watched quietly and made his own thoughts.

"But, we are waiting for the Voyager!" B'Elanna Root tried to bring to reason.

"Voyager will not be here for about four hours. Maybe later. We do not know how long they needed to install the transwarp coils and how long they needed to travel to the Alpha Quadrant. We can only guess. So we still have enough time to go to Bajor to find someone to help us and then come back. And even if we come back too late, that's not so tragic." Root said confidently.

"Neil, will you help or betray us?" Root cheerfully asked her family doctor.

Neil sighed deeply and looked gravely at Root. "Do you promise to pay attention to yourself and do nothing that could injure or endanger you?"

Root looked at Neil offended and pulled a pout. "Neil, I always take care of myself and rarely put myself in danger. But good, I promise." Root said, crossing her heart, holding up her index and middle fingers and giving him a scouting word of honor.

Neil nodded thankfully. Before he and B'Elanna could say anything else, Root took off her business suit jacket and began unbuttoning her blouse. Neil cleared his throat and murmured quickly that he would wait in the bedroom.

B'Elanna, on the other hand, watched as Root pushed her blouse from her shoulders as soon as she opened all the buttons. Then she went to her, grabbed her from behind, pulled her close and kissed Roots neck tenderly.

Root turned her head to B'Elanna in surprise.

"You are really crazy. We are arrived here and you want to start a next trip again. What about your work?" B'Elanna gently asked Root.

"Oh, my job can wait a moment. Do not worry, I'm not nearly as important to *Baer Industry* as everyone else is. To be honest, I have much less important things to do than you think. They keep me busy so I do not get stupid ideas." Root replied, grinning broadly at B'Elanna.

B'Elanna sighed and kissed Root on the back of her neck. "Okay, so let's go the next trip."


	17. Chapter 17

With the help of Captain Nolan, Neil, and Cloe, Root and B'Elanna were able to sneak unnoticed by the Pegasus. Sally and Roots bodyguards, however, did not know about it and thought that Root and B'Elanna were resting.

Root got the coordinates of Bajor from Captain Nolan.

As soon as the "Sameen Shaw" had moved away enough from the Pegasus, Root activated the Blinkdrive and a few moments later the spaceship appeared in front of the planet Bajor.

"Why do you really want to break our bonding?" B'Elanna asked as Root used the various buttons on her control console to steer her spaceship onto Bajor.  
Root turned her head to B'Elanna and paused, after she had set the course and her spaceship glided slowly on Bajor.

"I do not want you to be forced to always be close to me. I want you to be free to do whatever you want and free to go wherever you want to go." Declared Root, smiled gently at B'Elanna and gently stroked her cheek.

"But I want to be with you. We do not have to do that." B'Elanna said decisively and meant it that way.

"But I want it and I want to know why we're bonding and why it happened. And if there's a way to experience this on Bajor, then I want to take this opportunity. B'E, I have to know. You're welcome."

"Okay" B'Elanna said resignedly.

********************************

After Root had landed her spaceship on a designated parking deck on Bajor, both women got out and went in search of a temple in which they would find a Vedek.

Root had found in the database that they had to go looking for a Vedek, or even better, the Kai. The Kai was the spiritual head of Bajor's religion and had a great influence on the population, but also in the politics of the planet. A Vedek was her subordinate, but in the course of his life he could ascend to a quay if he had been selected at the Vedek meeting.

At the moment Kai Willia took the lead. But Root was sure that Kai had more important things to do than meet with her and B'Elanna to find out the secret of their bonding. Therefore, she had immediately decided to visit a Vedek.

After both women took quite a while to find a temple in the city, they entered. At the door to the temple, however, Root hesitated and stood unsteadily. B'Elanna looked at her in confusion.

"What is, are you coming?" She asked.

Root looked a little shy. "I am not sure if we should really go in." She said softly.

"But that's why we came here first. Root, what's up?"

"I ..." Root sighed deeply. "Maybe it's not a good idea to go in there and ask why we're bonding. I just have a bad feeling."

"Okay, so if you do not want to go in, let's get back to the spaceship and fly home." Bot B'Elanna reasonable.

But before the two women could begin their return journey, they were approached by one person from the temple.

"Hello, I'm a Prylar, how can I help you?" The young man asked, looking at both women expectantly.

"Oh, no, we do not need your help anymore. We just wanted to go." B'Elanna replied friendly and started to leave. But the Prylar put his hand on her arm and held her back.

"Please, stay. We can certainly help you. Please come in." He promoted B'Elanna and Root. Both women looked at each other and Root nodded slightly with her head.

"Okay good." B'Elanna sighed and went to the temple behind Prylar. Root hesitantly followed the two.

"May I ask what brought you here?" The young man asked after walking a few meters in the temple.

"We have a question and wanted to ask a Vedek for advice." B'Elanna replied as Root fidgeted uneasily beside her. B'Elanna took Roots hand and Root relaxed a bit.

"I'll see if Vedek Sorad has time for you. Please wait here for a moment." With that the Prylar left the pair and hurried down the hall of the temple, then turned into another room.

Root stood uncertainly next to B'Elanna, wondering if that would be a good time to get out of the temple. But before she could pull B'Elanna out of the temple, a man appeared and hurried over to them.

"I am pleased to meet you. I am Vedek Sorad, please follow me in my office. There we can talk undisturbed." He explained friendly and went ahead.

********************************

"Please sit down. I'm so glad you finally arrived. I've been waiting for you for many years." The Vedek chattered cheerfully and B'Elanna and Root looked confused.

"You were waiting for us? How did you know we were coming?" B'Elanna asked skeptically.

"I had a vision a few years ago, in which I was told that in the future I would make the acquaintance of two women from a foreign planet. And now you are finally here. I am so happy about it. Please tell me your name and how I can help you." asked the Vedek.

"I am B'Elanna and that is Root. We are physically bonding with each other. Once I get hurt, Root feels the same pain when we are separated, then we both feel bad. We wanted to know why we are bonding in this way and if it can be reversed. We hope you can answer our questions." Explained B'Elanna quickly.

The Vedek continued to smile friendly and then nodded understandingly.

"They shine brightly in the bright colors of the rainbow. I could perceive it immediately. This is something very special and I am so incredibly proud to be able to experience this event, what really can be described as unique, during my lifetime."

B'Elanna and Root looked at each other and had to blink their eyes.

"So you can see us shine too?" Asked Root.

"Oh yeah. I can see it right in front of me, but not only that, but also the bonding that binds them together."

"And what does that mean?" B'Elanna asked carefully.

"This means that two souls who belong to each other have found each other again and have united forever, never to lose themselves again. May I explore your Pagh?" He asked gently.

"Our Pagh?" Asked B'Elanna and Root at the same time.

"The Pagh is a spiritual force that exists in all sentient beings. The Pagh has many names, on the different planets. On Earth it is the soul and on volcano it is called Katra. The Pagh travels from a dying body to a newborn body. Here on Bajor we call the rebirth. It's the end and the beginning."

"And why is it necessary to explore our Pagh?" B'Elanna asked curiously.

"Well, your souls have joined together, but it does not seem to have been done properly because you have the problems you mentioned. I want to see what that is. It does not hurt and does not last long. All I have to do is touch your right earlobe and you just have to breathe calmly and let me into your mind. No more." The Vedek explained.

"Okay, then you can do it with me. Root, are you there?"

Root looked at B'Elanna for a long moment before taking a deep breath and nodding her head.

"Good" B'Elanna was happy. She really did not feel like staying here longer on Bajor than needed. All the better, that would not take long to explore with the Pagh.

"One more question, before we start, if I may?" Root asked shyly, and the Vedek and B'Elanna looked at her curiously.

"Yes, please ask." replied the Vedek.

"My soul has bonding with B'Elanna's soul because they belong to each other. But why do they belong to each other? B'Elanna and I, we have never met before. Do you mean something our souls know from a past life?" Asked Root.

"Yes that's what I meant. By exploring your Pagh, I can also see where your soul is and how they relate to each other in a past life and where the problem lies."

"Okay good. How do we start?"Asked Root, shifting uncomfortably to her chair.

B'Elanna handed her her hand and Root gratefully accepted it. The whole thing was more than scary to her. She had her own idea of life after death, she had never really been convinced of transmigration or rebirth. She had assumed that once one was dead, the soul was smart enough not to tie herself to a body again, but float freely through the galaxy, exploring and experiencing new things. A small wave that rode through the emptiness of the galaxy and settled down here and there. Depending on your preference. But why would she allow herself to be imprisoned in a body that had so many ailments and mistakes, and perhaps even a bad code? That was very illogical.

Vedek Sorad stepped to his desk and pulled a chair up to B'Elanna and Root. Then he gently put his right hand on Root's left ear. "May I?" He asked and Root nodded after taking a deep breath and blinking her eyes for a moment.

"Please breathe in and out. It will not hurt." Promised the Vedek and took Roots earlobe between his fingers.

Within seconds, he saw Roots's entire life passing by in pictures. From Roots lonely and sad childhood, over the years in which they had lived their dark side, until the time she was shot and then frozen in a cryogenic chamber for centuries. He saw the relationships she had had in her life with other people, people she had encountered, people she had killed as a job killer, people who had been close to her, and much more. But only in these lives could he see, not in a past life. Something was blocking his way to go back further.

The Vedek let go Roots earlobes and looked at her sadly. He not only saw Roots past and present, but also experienced her soul life, her emotions, fears and yearnings.

Then he turned to B'Elanna and put his right hand to her left ear. After nodding, he took her earlobe between his fingers. In B'Elanna he saw her present and past in reverse order. He saw her years on Voyager, time with the Maquis, time at the Sternflottenakademie, her heavy youth and her childhood. Then the pictures jumped to a previous life, in another life at another time. The visions jumped through several lifetimes in several different bodies and times. But then the pictures stopped and the picture of a woman he had seen in Roots Pagh appeared. Sameen Shaw.

Vedek Sorad released B'Elanna's earlobe and glared at her. He had figured out what he was looking for.

"Thank you, I am very happy to explore your both Pagh and I also found out where the problem lies. B'Elanna her soul has first bonding with the soul of Root. But Roots soul, was not yet ready to bonding with your soul. This caused the imbalance that caused her problem. Once Roots soul joins their soul, the bond they share will be well balanced and they will not experience the other person's pain anymore and will not feel bad anymore when they separate in space." Explained the Vedek and both Root and B'Elanna looked at him confused.

"Who was B'Elanna before?" Root asked quietly and got up from the chair and looked at the Vedek insecure.

"Sameen." Vedek Sorad said, smiling warmly at Root.

Root blinked at him confused and went pale. Her body began to shake violently and her legs gave way. But before she collapsed to the ground, B'Elanna had jumped up and taken her in her arms.

"Root?" She asked worriedly. But Root only staring the Vedek with a blank look.


	18. Chapter 18

Beep, beep, beep, beep ..........

..... the alarm clock buzzes.

"Root? Hey babe." Sameen whispered in Roots ear, after she noticed that Roots eyelids began to flutter and her body moved slowly.

Root groaned softly and opened her eyes drowsily. Beautiful dark brown eyes looked warm and a smile spread on Roots face.

Completely sleepy, she yawned and stretched before she pulled Sameen into her arms and kissed her gently and deeply.

"Good morning sweetie, what time is it?" Root asked after Sameen had wriggled out of her embrace.

"It's almost noon. Come on, we have a doctor's appointment today for your new heart." Sameen replied, tugging on Root's arm to pull her out of bed.

"Sweetieeeeeee….You are not fun. I'm still too tired to get up. I had a pretty good run and I'm late for bed. Please, please let me keep sleeping." Begged Root.

"No, come on Babe, we have to be in the hospital in time for your follow-up appointment. You got on well last night with your fanfiction about *Root and the Voyager*?" Asked Sameen after she finally pulled Root out of bed and pushed her to the bathroom.

"Yes" Root answered happily as she removed her nightgown and hopped under the shower.

"Tell me what came to your mind?" Asked Sameen as she sat down on the toilet lid and creamed herself with her moisturizer.

"Oh, B'Elanna and Root went to Bajor to find out why they are bonding. In the process, they find out that B'Elanna carries the soul of you. They are on their way back to catch the arrival of Voyager. I had the idea that Root and B'Elanna will soon find out that Root, so I, is pregnant. What do you say, do you think my fan base will find that exciting?" Root asked uncertainly.

"Hm ... do not know. But Babe, do not you think it's very strange that you write a fanfiction with you as the main character and with me as a minor character?" Sameen asked skeptically.

Root pushed the shower curtain aside and looked at Sameen pouting.

"No, I do not think so. I think it's really good and cool too. Sweetie I find it rather oblique that you do not find B'Elanna's clitoris penis strange." Declared Root and stepped out of the shower and sat down on Sameen's lap with her bare wet body. Sameen immediately put her arms around Roots body and pulled her to him and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Nah, I think that's pretty hot. It reminds me that we should definitely stop by in the sex shop." Sameen winked Root cheekily.

There was a seductive smile on Roots face. "Good idea sweetie"

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad you've made it this far and followed my story for so long. Normally, this story should be much longer and there should be much more Kathryn and Seven scenes in it. But then new ideas came, for new stories, so that I put an end to this here. Maybe I will continue this story sometime, after all, there is still much to tell about Root / B'Elanna, Seven / Kathryn, the Friendship beetween Root/Seven/ Kathryn/ B´Elanna, about Roots people and the Voyager crew and many new adventures. Write what do you think, should the story be continued sometime?


End file.
